No Happy Ending or Maybe So

Ch. 25 Three Years Later

Three years had past in Tree Hill, and for the most part everyone was happy for a change.

Brooke and Ethan had tried for almost two years to get pregnant, but had a very hard time conceiving. After consulting with a fertility doctor Brooke got pregnant. They are extremely happy about becoming parents for the first time. It was something Brooke had wanted for a very long time.

As for Haley and Nathan they never had a problem getting pregnant. Haley had given birth to her second son, Connor Lee Scott, six months ago. They usually call him Lee after Deb's maiden name. Jamie was about to turn ten, and Emma would soon be four.

Nathan was still working, but he tried to spend most of his time with his kids. He learned that they are the most important thing a man can have in his life.

Haley was still teaching, but she was pursuing her dream of singing again with the help of Peyton.

Lucas was doing a lot better. For him the past three years had been the best years of his life. He had written another book titled, Here's to Someday. He had also started writing children's books because he wanted his kids to be able to read his writing.

Peyton spent most of her time working on her record label and taking care of her children. That was her best job yet.

Julie was eight and had really turned into a mini Peyton. She had crazily curly hair that went half way down her back. She loved music and drawing, but she was a very girly girl like Brooke. During the three years she really grew to lover her father. He was like her best friend most of the time. She still didn't understand how it all was supposed to work, but she knew that he loved her, and that was all that mattered.

Brody was five almost six, and he had also fallen for Lucas. Lucas had made it his goal in life to love and protect the little boy as if he was his own.

Lucy was the spitting image of Julian. She had darker hair like his, his eyes, and was very spunky like he used to be.

Three years after Lucy was born Peyton found herself sitting in her bedroom thinking about Julian. She had pulled out some pictures of him.

"Hi honey," was something she said every time she looked at a picture of him. "I was just thinking about you today. I find myself doing that sometimes. Our little girl is getting so big. She turned three today, and I know that you would be so proud of her." She took a deep breath, "I want you to know that I'm happy. I'm really happy, but I will always miss you, and I will always love you."

She heard a knock on the door, "Hey Peyton the little rugrats are here," Lexie said referring to all the little kids they had invited to the party.

"Oh okay," Peyton said softly still looking at Julian's picture.

Lexie walked over to the bed, "He always took a good picture."

"Yeah he sure did," Peyton agreed.

Lexie sat on the bed and placed her hand on Peyton's shoulder, "I know that Julian would be happy for you."

"I know he would. I just miss him a lot."

"He used to tell me when we were younger that everyone deserved to be happy no matter what. He was his happiest when he was with you. You gave him everything that he could possibly ever want. Just be happy Peyton, that's what he would want more than anything," Lexie told her.

"Thanks," Peyton smiled.

Lexie walked out of her room, and Peyton started remembering things from the past three years.

Flashback:

Peyton was lying on the couch soon after Lucy was born. She had been crying constantly, and Peyton was extremely tired. Lucas had come over to play with Julie and Brody, and he had seen how tired Peyton was. He decided to let her get some sleep and take care of Lucy.

Peyton woke up to find Lucas asleep with Lucy in his arms and Brody and Julie lying asleep on each side of him. She smiled and covered them with a blanket.

A year later to Peyton's surprise Lucas hadn't tried anything with her. He hadn't asked her out on a date, he hadn't tried to kiss her, and he hadn't even told her that he loved her. She wasn't complaining because she wasn't sure if she was ready for a relationship especially with Lucas. Maybe they couldn't be together because they had way too much history, and things would be way too complicated.

After a year and a half Lucas still kept his feelings inside. He didn't want to rush things with her. He remembered Peyton telling him that Julian gave her time, and that was what he was going to do too.

Peyton was at work trying to get Mia to write a new song when Lucas came in. "Hey you I thought you had a meeting with your editor."

"I did. I've already been, and I flew right back."

"Oh…" she noticed that he seemed a little off. "What's going on?"

He sighed, "I talked to Lindsay today about you."

She raised her eyebrows, "Oh okay." She wasn't sure what he had said, and what she was supposed to say.

"I asked her why she never told me that you called."

"Luke," she walked around her desk.

"She said that she didn't tell me because she had always hoped that I would give her a chance."

"Oh," Peyton knew that in some aspects that was the reason they weren't together.

"I haven't been with anyone since we broke up Peyton, and I don't plan on being with anyone other than you," he admitted to her.

"Lucas you have to move on. I love that you are apart of our lives, but you can't wait for me forever," she shook her head.

He took her hands in his, "I will wait for you forever Peyton. I have already told you that. I would rather be without you than with anyone else on this planet. You're the one for me, and soon enough you'll figure that out."

He walked out of the office not even letting her respond.

Almost two years after Lucy was born Lucas's second book came out. It was yet another love story to Peyton, but this time it was more about Lucas' mistakes and how if he could take it all back things would have ended differently.

Peyton was tucking Julie into bed, "Goodnight Princess," Peyton turned on Julie's night light.

"Mommy do you love daddy?" Julie asked.

"What?" Peyton wasn't sure which daddy Julie was referring too.

"Daddy Lucas do you love him? I think he loves you," Julie had noticed.

"Sweetheart, of course I love him because he gave me you."

"I love Daddy Lucas, and I'm really glad that he is my other daddy."

"Me too honey."

Peyton walked downstairs and started to read the book again. She could never seem to put it away. She was beginning to love it more than she loved the first book. Lucas had been gone for about month on his book tour, and she wasn't sure when he was coming back.

The next morning Peyton woke up to see his blue eyes staring back at her, "Lucas," she said half asleep. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the middle of signing a book for a woman who had a daughter about Julie's age, and I realized how much I missed my daughter." He told her.

"Lucas you have to go back."

"My book is going to sell with or without me. I need to be here with my family."

"I've read this book about a thousand times, and I think I've cried every single time," she sat up next to him. "Sometimes love is complicated, but sometimes it is a lot easier than we think. A lot of times we make things a lot harder than they ever have to be. For me the girl I love fell in love with someone else all because I ran away like a scared little child when she said someday to my marriage proposal. I was the one that made things hard, so here's to someday." She quoted the first couple of sentences from his book.

"Peyton…" but before he could finish she cut him off.

"I fell in love with Julian, and there is not a day that goes by that I don't miss him. I will always miss him, but there was never a day that I didn't think about you when I was with him." She moved closer to him, "Here's to today because you never know when it might be your last," she leaned in and kissed him for the first time in years.

Peyton was finally knocked out of her trance when she heard screams coming from downstairs. She hurried downstairs to find everyone surrounding a very big Brooke. "What's going on?" She looked at Lucas.

"Brooke's in labor." Lucas said in panic.

Peyton's eyes grew large at the thought of her best friend finally giving birth.

It only took Peyton and Lexie a few minutes to clear out the party and head to the hospital.

………………..

The waiting room was filled full of people who loved Brooke and Ethan.

Peyton was sitting across the room waiting patiently for Ethan to come tell them that everything was okay. Lucy walked over to her mommy and tapped on her knee. "What's wrong Lucy?"

She put her hands on her hips, "Mommy, Aunt Brooke messed up my birthday." She was obviously upset.

"Oh honey she didn't mean too, but I promise you are going to be very excited when you get to play with the babies." Peyton told her.

"Maybe," she was still pouting.

Ethan appeared in the doorway. He was smiling from ear to ear. "They are perfect."

Everyone smiled, "Thank God," Lucas was the first to say.

"Congratulations man," Nathan shook his hand.

"What are they?" Julie asked.

Ethan smiled, "We have three beautiful sons."

Brooke had given birth to triplets.

…………………….

Peyton, Lucas, Nathan, and Haley made their way back to see Brooke and her three newborns.

Brooke looked absolutely beautiful even after giving birth.

"You always were the overachiever," Haley laughed.

"Yeah you just had to catch up with us," Peyton smiled as she looked at the beautiful little babies.

"I couldn't let the two of you have more kids than me. That just wasn't fair." Brooke smiled.

"Brooke they are amazing," Lucas smiled looking at her kids. "You did good man," Lucas told Ethan as he held one of his sons.

"So what did ya name them?" Nathan asked.

Brooke smiled, "Well this little man right here is John Davis Copeland."

"But we want to call him Davis," Ethan told them. "And this little man right here is Preston Scott Copeland."

"But we're going to call him Scott," she smiled. "And last but not least Michael Sawyer Copeland."

They all smiled, "We're probably going to end up calling him Sawyer," Ethan admitted.

"Those are great names for great little babies." Nathan told them.

"Perfect," Haley thought.

"Our family is complete with Davis, Scott, and Sawyer." Brooke told them.

The boys didn't really look a like, but that didn't bother Brooke as long as they were healthy.

…………………………………………….

Peyton and Lucas walked into Peyton's house carrying Lucy. Lexie, Brody, and Julie had stayed with Haley. Lucy didn't like spending the night away from her mommy just yet. "I'll go lay her down," Peyton told Lucas.

A few minutes later she came back down to find Lucas at the end of the stairs down on one knee holding a ring box. Her heart dropped into her stomach. "Lucas," she shook her head not knowing what to say.

"I know that we haven't talked about this, but I love you Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," she continued to walk down the stairs towards him. "I have loved you since the moment that we first spoke. I thought that I would never get my happy ending but when you let be apart of your family you gave me my happy ending. You gave me everything that I ever wanted and never really deserved. You were right all of those years ago. We weren't ready to get married, but now I am more than ready. I want to be with you forever, so will you please do me the honors of being my wife. Peyton will you marry me?" She had finally made it all the way to him. Her eyes were filled with tears.

She smiled and took a closer look at the ring. She then pulled him off of his knee. "I love you too Lucas." She leaned in and kissed him more passionately than he could ever remember kissing her before.

He smiled once they pulled away, "So is that a yes?" he asked curiously hoping he already knew the answer.

She smiled, "Someday Lucas Scott, someday," she laughed and kissed him again.

He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and she smiled. "So will you be here in the morning when I wake up?"

"I'm going to be here every morning when you wake up for the rest of your life so you better get use to it," he continued to kiss her.

The next morning Peyton woke up to find Lucas sleeping peacefully right beside her. She looked at the ring sitting on the nightstand. She picked it up and placed it on her finger. She whispered in his ear, "I love you Lucas Scott."

Peyton had learned that although things don't work out the first time doesn't mean they were never meant to work out. Things happen for a reason, and sometimes we don't understand them, but in the end there can always be a happy ending no matter how long you have to wait.

Alright so that is the end of No Happy Ending or Maybe So, I'm not sure how it turned out, but I am pretty happy with it.

I love writing this fic so much. It was a lot of fun, and I think that I grew as a writer throughout the story.

I want to thank you guys so much for all the reviews. You are amazing, and I hope that you guys enjoyed the fic as much as I did.

I'm kind of sad that's it over though. If you guys have any suggestions for another story let me know because I really enjoy writing, and I'd be up for anything.

Thanks again and please let me know how you felt about this last chapter.