Authors Note: ok...so the last chapter didn't recieve as many reviews. I hope this one gets a lot. BIG thank you to my beta Carabell! (sorry, spelled her name wrong in the first chapter i posted) She's awesome! She's about to be a mommy...so a BIG congratualtions to her! Can't wait to hear all about mommyhood...anyhow...on with the story!
"Are you sure you're ok, Brooke?" Haley asks her soon to be sister in law as she exist the bathroom for the third time in fifteen minutes.
Brooke nods, "Yeah, it's just a bug. It'll pass."
Haley nods, still not convinced. Brooke had been sick all day, and the last few days as well. Maybe she's…no, she can't be.
Can she?
"Brooke, please don't get mad at me for asking, but, do you think you could be pregnant?" Haley asks, placing the magazine she was thumbing through on the table.
Brooke busts into a fit of giggles and her face is turning red as she struggles to breathe. "What? Haley, that's crazy."
"But what if it's not as crazy as it sounds. Think about it, Brooke. You've been sick for the last few days. You can't keep anything down, and the smell of coffee repulses you. Something's up. I think you may be pregnant," Haley explains, listing all of the symptoms Brooke has had.
Brooke expression becomes serious and Haley's not sure if she is going to cry or throw up again.
"Oh God. Haley, what if I am? What am I going to do? Lucas and I aren't married yet. This isn't how I wanted to start a family. I'm gonna be sick," Brooke exclaims, and jumps off the couch and slams the bathroom door shut behind her.
Haley rushes to the bathroom after her friend, and lets herself in. She bunches up Brooke's chocolate locks and rubs her back. "It's gonna be ok, Tigger."
Brooke shakes her head, "You don't know that. What if he leaves me?"
Haley looks at her shocked. "Have you met Lucas? Brooke, he'd never leave you. The most he would do is go to the River court and shoot hoops with Nathan and Jake. Talk about this with them in one of their manly chats that they have, and come back to you and be scared, yes. But also, overjoyed."
Brooke wants to believe Haley, but all she does is flashback to when she had her pregnancy scare junior year.
She sees him sitting on the picnic table lost in thought. She walks up to him, her face still stained with tears. He looks over at her and she finally makes eye contact.
"I need to talk to you," she says, just above a whisper.
He shakes his thoughts away, taking note of the fact that she is standing before him, being civil. "Okay," he responds.
"I spent the entire night trying to avoid this, or ignore it, but I can't. So I just gotta say it," she explains, looking in to his eyes.
He squints, "Brooke, what's up?"
She takes a deep breath as new tears form in her eyes. "I-I think I'm pregnant."
And he looks scared. She's never seen a guy look as scared as Lucas does right then. He finally speaks. "What do you mean, you 'think' ?"
"I mean I'm late. Like late," she answers.
"Well…did you take a test?" he asks, she shakes her head 'no' at him. "Okay. Okay, um…look, we have to know. Okay? Maybe…maybe it's just a false alarm. Come on, drug store's still open…we'll do it together. Okay?"
She nods, and follows him off the river court.
Okay, so that was a false alarm and they were in high school. But, what if this isn't just a scare?
"Will you go with me, Haley?" Brooke asks, looking up at her friend.
Haley smiles. "Of course I will, Brooke. Let's go to the Walgreen's down the street. It'll be okay, Tigger. I promise"
Haley helps Brooke off of the bathroom floor, and they make their way to the car. Brooke gets in the passenger side and buckles up. The car ride is silent, as Brooke gets used to the idea that she is possibly pregnant.
And it scares her. Yes, she wants a baby more than anything, and with Lucas, but they aren't even married yet. Peyton just moved out, Rachel is moving in. Their lives are already becoming hectic, and they haven't even started thinking about a wedding date yet.
It's not the money that is concerning Brooke. She and Lucas both have more than enough money to raise a family. Her fashion line alone is enough to support her and Lucas. Plus the money he gets as Head Coach of the Ravens and from his novels. Then what is bothering her so much about this? Shouldn't she be happy?
Her inner questioning is interrupted as Haley shouts her name for the third time.
"Brooke?" She turns and looks at Haley with an arched eyebrow. "We're here. You ready?"
"No, but I guess I have to be," she answers, grabbing her purse and getting out of the car.
Haley walks around and links her arm with Brooke's. They walk in the store and head over to the pharmacy. They reach the isle with the pregnancy tests and Brooke gasps. "Well…there's like a thousand! What one do I use, Haley?"
Haley sighs, trying to find the right words. She knows she needs to stay calm for Brooke "Well, you can use 'Clear Blue Easy', but I hear that 'EPT' is the best one. Why don't you get a few, take them and see what the results are. Then we'll call and make an appointment with your doctor to get the results confirmed no matter what they are?"
"Okay," Brooke says, running on auto pilot. Haley could have told her to do a naked tap dance in the baby food isel and she would have complied without question.
Brooke walks out of the bathroom and sits next to Haley at the counter.
"Well?" Haley asks, so impatient she had forgotten about the waiting process.
"Now, we wait. I just hope Lucas doesn't come home yet. I don't want to freak him out when I don't know anything," Brooke says, looking down at her hands.
Haley nods. "Just don't be like me and wait until Lucas gets the offer of his dreams."
Brooke smiles at the memory of how Haley told Nathan about Jamie. "Don't worry, I won't. Hales, you have to promise me not to say anything to anyone about this. At least not until I tell Luke. Please?"
Brooke's eyes are pleading with Haley. "Of course Brooke."
Haley tries to take Brooke's mind off of the results of the tests. She talks about how glad she is that she doesn't have to grade another final. She talks about Jamie getting over his fear of swimming, and how they practically have to drag him out of the pool by his swim trunks to get him out.
Haley then turns serious, "Brooke, if the tests come back positive, I want you to know that you are going to be a great mother. I watched you with Angie, and I watch you with Jamie all the time. I know you can do this; you and Lucas."
Brooke smiles a teary smile and hugs her friend. "Thanks, Haley. I really needed to hear that."
"Anytime Tigger, I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't been there when I found out about Jamie."
Brooke sighs and looks at the clock. "It's time." She stands and walks into the bathroom. She doesn't even look down. "Haley!"
Haley walks in, "Yeah."
Brooke looks over at her. "Can you look for me? I'm too scared."
She smiles. "Sure. Give me your hand." Brooke does so, and watches as Haley looks down to the counter. A small smile graces her face and she turns to Brooke, "It's about time Lucas makes me an aunt. Brooke, they're all positive."
Brooke leans in and hugs Haley. She starts to cry. She's not sure if she's happy, or if she's just overwhelmed. One thing is for sure, she's got to tell Lucas. She knows it's strange and even though she just found out, she already loves this baby so much.
Brooke pulls away, and wipes her tears, "I have to tell Lucas. Can we take a rain check on lunch?"
"Absolutely! Call me with the details later. I can't wait to tell Nathan," Haley says excitedly.
"Haley…"
She already knows what Brooke's about to say "Don't worry, I'll tell him after you call me. Congratulations, Brooke."
"Thanks," Brooke says a small smile gracing her face.
An hour or so later, Brooke greets Lucas at the door with a kiss.
"Hey, how was your day?" Brooke says, after pulling away from the kiss and leading Lucas to the couch.
Lucas plops down on the couch pulling her onto his lap and sighs, "It was long. But it's getting better. What did you do all day?"
"Not much. I just hung out with Haley for a couple of hours. We talked a lot, which is good, since we haven't been able to a lot lately," Brooke answers. "But there is something I need to tell you, Broody. I think it's a good thing, I just hope you do."
Lucas sits up straighter on the couch and turns to her, "Brooke, what's up?"
"Well, you know how I've been sick these last few days?" she receives a nod from him, and continues. "Haley and I went to Walgreen's and I bought three pregnancy tests."
Lucas raises his eyebrows, "You bought what?"
Her eyes fill with tears as she stares into his unreadable eyes. "I, we're pregnant, Lucas."
"Are you sure? No doubt in your mind?" Lucas asks wanting to make sure he's not getting his hopes up.
She nods. "The three I took were all positive. But I called my doctor and made a confirmation appointment for tomorrow morning at 10:30."
He nods taking all the information in. Brooke's pregnant. He's going to be a father. Brooke is the mother of his baby. Anyway puts it, he's going to be afather in a few short months. For the first time since she's told him, he smiles. He wants to scream and jump for joy but he settles for pulling her to him in a fierce hug. He kisses her neck, then moves to her cheek, and finally makes it to her lips. The kiss is gentle and full of the happiness that is coursing through him.
He rests his forehead on Brooke's and says, "I'm gonna be a daddy?"
She lets a tear escape from her hazel eyes and says, "Yes, you are. Are you okay with that?"
"I'm more than 'okay', Brooke. I'm thrilled."
