Paigematthewsfan21, craxygirl54, CaseyJr, Diane Hermans, bjq, Alyssia-Owens, Jen loves Nathan, Eve G, Ashley J Scott, tanya2byour21, brucas234, The-Ryanator, Raven-Rachel23, Holly-Roberts, Cheery Rose 23, lift-me-up, Jessica James 23, JackSawyer99, MollyCW23, Beth-J-Matthews, The-Tommynator, James McLean, Carter-James, Danny-Walker, The-Tim22, Lee Martin, Jason-Carlton, Riley Barnes, John Tate, Nicole-2223 – Thank you all so so much for your lovely reviews!
So the results are in. Thanks to everyone who voted or reviewed to leave their vote. You shall find out how many babies Brucas are having in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy!
Brooke was led on the bed in the doctor's office dressed in a gown. She had a blanket over her lower half. Lucas was by her side, perched on the side of the bed, holding her hand. They were waiting on the doctor to return so they could find out exactly how many babies Brooke was carrying. Several minutes later, the doctor returned.
"Sorry about that," he told them with a friendly smile. He crossed over to the sink and washed his hands. He then dried them on a paper towel. "Right let's see what's happening in there shall we?"
Brooke and Lucas looked at each other as the doctor began to move the scanner over Brooke's belly. Lucas smiled reassuringly at her and squeezed her hand.
"So you want to know how many are in there right?" Doctor Roberts asked them with a smile.
"Yeah we do," Brooke replied sounding nervous. "Everyone's debating over how many there is due to the size of me."
"My mom reckons it could just be a big baby," Lucas added. "It runs in my side of the family."
"There is more than one in there," Doctor Roberts told them as he turned the screen so they could see. "You see this here?"
"Yeah." Brooke said as she looked at the shadowy shape the doctor was pointing at.
"That is two babies," Doctor Roberts told them. "They are monozygotic twins."
"Mono what?" Lucas asked with a confused frown. Brooke's expression was identical.
"Identical twins." Doctor Roberts explained with a smile.
"So we're having twins?" Brooke asked still in a state of shock.
"No," Doctor Roberts replied. He pointed to another shape. "This is baby number three."
"Triplets?" Lucas asked stunned as his eyes widened. Brooke stayed quiet as she stared at the screen.
"Yes you're having triplets," Doctor Roberts said cheerfully. "Congratulations."
"Wow." Lucas said struggling to take it all in. Brooke was still quiet as she stared at the screen.
"Are you okay mom?" Doctor Roberts asked Brooke finally getting her attention away from the screen.
"Uh yeah," Brooke replied quietly. "I'm just a little shocked."
"I can understand," Doctor Roberts said sympathetically. "I know it's a lot to take in."
"It is." Lucas agreed.
"Now I'm going to fill your head even more," Doctor Roberts said. "Now this pregnancy is what we call high risk with it being a multiple."
"High risk?" Lucas asked in a worried tone.
"We just need to monitor Brooke and the babies more closely," Doctor Roberts explained. "Brooke you'll need to drink plenty of water. I don't want you getting dehydrated. Plus you'll need to eat an extra three hundred calories a day per baby."
"I think I'm already doing that," Brooke replied still looking shell shocked. "The calories I mean."
"That's good," Doctor Roberts replied. "We'll be giving you folic acid, iron and calcium supplements. And because you're having multiple babies you're more at risk for iron-deficiency anemia so we'll keep an eye on your iron levels too."
"What about exercise and stuff like that?" Lucas asked.
"Take it easy," he replied as he looked at Brooke. "Don't over do it okay?"
"I'll make sure she won't." Lucas said as he kissed her forehead.
"Now I don't mean to scare you, but with triplets the average length of a pregnancy is thirty three weeks," Doctor Roberts told them. "And it will more than likely be a c-section delivery."
"This is a lot to take in," Brooke said as she swallowed hard. Her mind was racing. "I don't think I can process all this right now."
"That's understandable," Doctor Roberts replied. "We can discuss it a little more in my office. And whenever you want to. Now would you like a copy of the scan?"
~X~
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked as he drove them back home after they had left the doctors.
"No," Brooke admitted. "I'm freaking out Lucas. How can I physically carry three babies inside me? How can I nurse them and hold them when they're all crying at once?"
"You won't be alone Brooke," Lucas told her. "I'll be there to help. And so will my mom and Dad."
"There's going to be some point where it will be just me and three babies Luke," Brooke said with a sigh. "I don't think I can cope with that."
"We could get a live in nanny," Lucas suggested. "That would make it easier for us."
"We could," Brooke replied. "I think I might be alright once I manage to get my head around it."
"It's a good thing we're getting the house renovated and that third garage is now going to be extra rooms instead," Lucas said with a smile. "That way the three of them could have their own nurseries so that if one starts crying, he or she won't wake the others."
"That's great thinking Lucas," Brooke said as she looked at him surprised. "That could help."
"Pretty Girl, we'll cope okay?" Lucas said reassuringly as he took hold of her hand.
"You could always quit work and help me be a full time parent," she said with a smile. "I mean I have plenty of money."
"I'll think about it," he said as he returned her smile. "We have plenty of time to rearrange our lives before they get here."
~X~
"Thanks for helping me to organize Brooke's bachelorette party." Haley said to Quinn. The two women were in Haley's lounge writing down ideas for the event.
"You're welcome," Quinn replied with a smile. "It's helping me to feel like I belong here. Plus you can't be working too hard in your condition."
"Trust me I'm not going to," Haley said with a laugh. "Just like Brooke's party isn't going to be anything crazy like mine was."
"What happened?" Quinn asked curious.
"Brooke arranged this huge party and she, Peyton, Deb and Karen got far too drunk," Haley explained. "On the walk home Jake and Peyton went and made their baby in a park."
"You're kidding?" Quinn asked as she laughed. Haley just shook her head, causing Quinn to laugh harder.
"The funniest part of that night though was Nathan," Haley said as she remembered. "He had this inflatable ball and chain around his ankle and he had to go and get the ankle cuff part cut off at the fire house because Brooke posted the key into a mail box."
"I wish I was here to see that," Quinn said as she wiped at her eyes. "I bet it was funny to see."
"Oh it was," Haley said with a smile. "But Brooke is going to get a nice relaxing bachelorette party where she can get pampered."
"So let's start on the invite list." Quinn said.
"There'll be me, you, Peyton, Rachel, Mia, Deb, Karen and Brooke obviously." Haley replied as she wrote each name down.
"How about a spa day?" Quinn suggested.
"Yeah I was thinking of something like that," Haley replied. "I might ask and see if they would come here. That way us pregnant ones won't have to travel."
"And if Brooke has multiple babies in there it'll be best." Quinn said with a slight laugh.
"I pity her if she does," Haley said as she pulled a sympathetic face. "It's bad enough having one."
"I know how you feel," Quinn replied. "I don't envy her at all. Oh crap look at the time. I have to go and pick Logan up from nursery."
"I'll call the spa and see what they say about sending people out here for the evening or day or whatever." Haley said as Quinn stood. In her haste she dropped her purse and the contents scattered everywhere.
"I'm such a klutz," Quinn said as she began gathering her belongings together. Haley picked up a picture that had fallen on the sofa. She went to hand it to her. She saw the image on the picture and was surprised. She couldn't help staring at it. Quinn took it from her. "That's my mom, me and my sister."
"You look happy." Haley said with a slight smile.
"I think we were," Quinn said as she looked at it with a sad smile. "I don't remember it though. I was too young. I better dash."
"Okay," Haley said as she struggled off the sofa. "Like I said I'll call the spa."
"Okay!" Quinn called as she hurried out of the house. Haley watched as she climbed in her car and drove away. She then closed the door and headed over to the phone.
"Hey what's up with my sexy wife?" Nathan said as he answered his cell.
"Honey can you come home for a little while?" Haley asked him. "I need to talk to you about something."
"I'm sure my dad will let me sneak out for a while," Nathan replied. "Why what's wrong?"
"I'll tell you when you get here." She told him before she hung up the phone.
~X~
"Hey Brooke," Mia said as she answered the apartment door. "Come on in."
"Thanks," Brooke replied with a smile as she headed through the door. She held up a bag. "I bring Karen's delicious cooking."
"You can visit more often," Mia said with a laugh. "How did your scan go?"
"There's more than one," Brooke said as she followed Mia over to the kitchen area of the apartment. She placed the bag down on the counter top. "There are three."
"Three?" Mia asked in a shocked voice as her eyes went wide. "Wow. I do not envy you at all."
"I'm kinda freaking out about it," Brooke admitted. "Lucas seems calm about it. Almost too calm."
"He's probably freaking out just as much as you are, but is pretending to be strong and supportive," Mia told her. "You know what guys are like."
"You're probably right," Brooke said as she began to unpack the food. "Because there's three in there I'm classed as having a high risk pregnancy so I have to get checked out more."
"Damn that sucks!" Mia said as she pulled a sympathetic face. "The normal check ups are enough. But you have to have more."
"Apparently I have a set of identical twins in there and they can get something called twin to twin transfusion syndrome," Brooke said. Mia looked at her puzzled. "Their blood supply can get connected and one baby can act as a donor while the other takes the blood. The donor baby has less amniotic fluid and decreased blood volume. It stops that baby's growth and development. Where as the other baby has a strain on its heart because of the extra blood and can have heart failure."
"Oh my God!" Mia said stunned. "I hope you don't end up with that happening."
"Me neither," Brooke said quietly. "If I do get it, if it's after twenty six weeks they should be able to deliver the babies and stop it."
"So you have identical twins and then a spare so to speak?" Mia asked as she got plates from the cupboard.
"Yeah," Brooke replied with a slight smile. "I'm hoping there's a mixture in there."
"How would you like them to turn out?" Mia asked. "I mean two girls and a boy or two boys and a girl?"
"Ideally two boys and a girl," Brooke replied. "I just have this vision of Lucas with a son and he looks so adorable. Plus that way I get a daughter to dress up and it's all done in one pregnancy."
"Lucky you if it turns out that way," Mia said with a smile. It then turned to a grimace as her hand went to her bump. "Chase is certainly being a kicker today."
"Let's get you sat," Brooke said as she helped Mia over to the sofa. "I'll get the food sorted."
"Thanks Brooke," Mia said gratefully. "You're a true friend."
"Glad to be of service," Brooke replied with a smile. "And besides we're like family as well as being friends."
"You mean because we both have links to firemen?" Mia asked with a smile.
"Exactly that!" Brooke beamed.
"Actually I need your advice on something," Mia told her. "And seeing as though we're getting real good friends, I wouldn't want to ask anyone else about this."
"Fire away," Brooke said as she began to bring the now plate up food over to the coffee table. "And I swear I'll give you my honest opinion and the best advice I can."
"Last night I fell asleep on the sofa while Owen was watching some guy movie," Mia began as Brooke sat on the sofa beside her. "Anyway when I was at the not quite awake but still sleepy point on waking up I heard Owen talking to my belly."
"What did he say?" Brooke asked curious.
"He said that little Chase had nothing to worry about because he was going to be the best daddy he could to him," Mia told her. "And he said he was going to look after me and Chase from now on and we'll never want for anything."
"Oh my God! That is so sweet!" Brooke said in a dreamy tone.
"I just don't know what to do Brooke," Mia said. "Owen and Chase were like brothers. I feel like I'd be betraying Chase if anything happened between me and Owen."
"Do you want to know what I think?" Brooke asked and Mia nodded. "I think that Chase would be happy if you and Owen got together. He trusted Owen with his life and they respected each other so much. He would want someone he could trust to that degree looking after the woman he loved and his son."
"Really?" Mia asked.
"Really," Brooke replied. "I think he'd want that more than you ending up alone or with some dead beat local yokel!"
"Local yokel?" Mia asked as she burst out laughing. Brooke smiled.
"You get my point right?" Brooke asked her.
"Yeah," Mia replied. "I'm just scared."
"Why?"
"What if he's just saying things like that because he feels that he has to?" Mia answered. "And not because he wants to?"
"Mia, Owen thought you were asleep at the time right?" Brooke asked. Mia nodded. "He obviously wants to then. He's probably having the same doubts as you are about Chase. I also know for a fact that he has arranged time off work for paternity leave for when Chase Junior arrives."
"He has?" Mia asked sounding surprised.
"Yeah," Brooke confirmed. "Lucas and I have put our honeymoon on hold so he can. And before you say anything we wanted to. And we hadn't arranged one anyway because we couldn't decide. And now with me being pregnant with triplets, it's probably best we didn't."
"I can't thank you enough for what you've done Brooke." Mia said gratefully.
"You don't need to thank me," Brooke assured her. "Like I said we're like family."
~X~
"Brooke you're here finally!" Rachel said as Brooke and Mia walked into the bridal store. "So how many babies are you having?"
"Yeah come on tell us," Peyton piped up. "The suspension is killing me."
"Yeah spill," Haley added. "It's not nice you keeping your Matron of Honor in the dark."
"Three okay," Brooke replied as she shook her head at their eagerness. "You all happy now?"
"Damn I was hoping for four!" Peyton said as she laughed. Brooke just gave her a playful glare.
"Three?" Quinn asked surprised as Mia sat down. "I really don't envy you."
"That's what a lot of women say to me when they find out," Brooke said with a sigh. "It kinda makes me freak out more than I already am."
"Sorry." Her friends said in unison.
"And because of it, I now have to change my wedding dress," Brooke explained. "Because the design I was going for just wouldn't work with the huge bump I'm obviously going to have by the wedding."
"Can I just ask why you wanted me here?" Quinn asked her.
"Same here." Mia added.
"I want you two to be bridesmaids too," Brooke said. "I know you'll be doing the photography too Quinn but you can still have the role."
"Aww thanks!" Quinn said happily. "I'd love too."
"So I needed you both here for dress fittings," Brooke explained. "And Charlotte and Jenny of course."
"I can't wait to see my princess dress." Charlotte said to Brooke happily from her spot in Quinn's lap.
"Me neither Aunt Brooke!" Jenny added.
"What kind of dress are you going to get then Brooke?" Rachel asked curious.
"This one," Brooke said as she pulled a sketch out of her purse. She handed it to Rachel. "What do you think?"
"Wow that is awesome," Rachel said as she studied it before passing it to Peyton. "Your bump will look great in it."
"Wow that's nice!" Peyton said impressed as she saw it. She passed it to Haley.
"It is," Haley agreed. "You drew this didn't you?"
"I sure did," Brooke beamed. "The initial fabric will be lined silk and the overlay is Alencon lace."
"What's Alencon lace?" Rachel asked.
"It's like what veils are made out of," Brooke explained. "I've decided I wanted some crystals sewn on around the hemline of the lace overlay and that's strong enough to hold them. It'll make the train of the dress look awesome."
"Wow this is really good!" Quinn said as she saw Brooke's sketch. "What are you a designer or something?"
"I doodle," Brooke replied with a laugh. "That sketch has been something I was working on since I met Lucas."
"Planning ahead huh?" Mia asked with a smile as she looked. "That is impressive."
"I can't wait to see it," Brooke said. "I dropped the sketch off the day of Prom so it should be taking some kind of shape now."
"Now that everybody is here, we can try the dresses." The shopkeeper told Brooke. Three was almost a stampede for the fitting areas.
~X~
"Seriously? You think she's-" Brooke was in the process of saying when Haley cut her off.
"Sshhh!" She insisted. "She might hear you, Now isn't the time or place!"
"Why tell me then?" Brooke asked as she kinked her eyebrow.
"Because I had to," Haley said. "I was about to explode."
"What are you two whispering about?" Quinn asked as she poked her head through the curtain. "Wow that's an amazing dress Brooke."
"Thanks," Brooke said as she pulled Quinn into the cubicle. She then looked at Haley and whispered. "Hales, come on. You can do it."
"Do what?" Quinn asked curious. "And why are we whispering?"
"Brooke." Haley said with a sigh.
"Hales just do it!" Brooke told her. Haley sighed again and bent to pick her purse off the floor. She rummaged around in it for a few moments before she found what she was looking for. Quinn watched confused whereas Brooke just smiled. Haley then pulled the item out and handed it to Quinn.
"Thanks," Quinn said with a frown. "But I thought I picked this up when I left your place?"
"You did," Haley told her. "That's mine. Read the back."
Quinn frowned as she turned the item over in her hand to read the back. Her face was a mask of shock as she did. She then looked up at Haley as her eyes filled with tears. The two women stood staring at each other in a shocked silence as Brooke's smile grew.
"You know now I know, I wanna know how I didn't notice sooner," Brooke said gaining both of theirs attention. She moved so that Quinn and Haley were stood side by side gazing into the mirror. "You two look almost identical. You could be twins. Quinn was your maiden name James?"
"Yeah." Quinn replied still feeling in a state of shock.
"And your mom was called Lydia and your dad James?" Brooke carried on.
"Yeah James James." Quinn said with a slight laugh.
"Well before Haley became Haley James-Scott, she was Haley James," Brooke told her. "I'm sorry about what happened to your parents."
"Thank you," Quinn said as she turned to look at Haley once more. She then pulled her into her arms in a sisterly hug. "I tried to find you I did. They wouldn't tell me anything about where you were. Then Clay heard about the job here and here we are. I came home finally."
"I've been here since high school," Haley told her. "Well except when I went away for college."
"I'll leave you two to catch up." Brooke said with a smile as she left the cubicle.
"When I saw that picture that fell out of your purse I couldn't believe it," Haley said as they separated. "I called Nathan and freaked out."
"We're so going to have a catch up tomorrow," Quinn told her. "Right now we'll focus on Brooke and the dresses. Then tomorrow we'll have sister time."