So I know I haven't updated in a month and I am so sorry for that! I didn't mean for it to take that long! Unfortunately there will only be two more chapters after this one…some of you may be upset with the time jump that will happen next chapter ((six months into the future)) but there's only so much that can remain to happen in this fic. That being said, I am very excited to post my new fic once I finish this one ((it's another Brooke/Julian one)). It will be sad to end this one but I feel like it's time. I've done all that I can do and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in the past 37 chapters. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Kick
Brooke groaned as she tossed another issue of Us Weekly onto the floor. "Julian! I'm dying in here!" She yelled.
Julian grinned as he stepped out of the bathroom tying his tie. "Just one more day and then you won't be confined to this bed. You can get up and start doing a few things around the house, go for a short walk, things like that." He said.
"You're going to let me do things like that?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"If the doctor says you're okay to do that kind of stuff than I'm not going to stop you. However, you have to take it easy and slow at first, okay?"
She nodded. "Want to spend the day in bed with us? We're very bored." She said as she rubbed her belly.
"I wish I could, babe, but I have a meeting at the office about the budget for the movie. I should be home a little after two though so then we can spend the rest of the day in bed together." He said as he leaned in to kiss her. "I love you and I'll see you later."
"Love you too." She pouted as she reached for the remote.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"I thought Brooke said she would make your dress?" Lucas asked as he waited for Jess to emerge from the dressing room.
"Yeah, but then she collapsed and was put on bed rest and I can't put that kind of stress on her, Luke." She said. "And besides, the wedding is in two weeks. How do you like this one?" She asked as she opened the door.
"I think it looks the same as the last one you tried on." He answered honestly.
She groaned. "The last one had a lace overlay and a sweetheart neckline. This one doesn't have any lace and it's strapless. You're really not helping at all."
"Jess, I don't care what you wear two weeks from now all I care about is that you're finally going to become my wife. You could wear a paper bag for all I care and you'd still look stunning." He said as he cupped his hands on either side of her face.
"Well at the rate we're going I might just have to take you up on that offer because every single thing I try on makes me look like a whale." She said as she gestured to her lower half.
"You do not look like a whale." He laughed. "You look beautiful."
She sighed. "I was thinking that maybe we could do the wedding your way. I don't need all of this," she said as she gestured around the bridal shop. "I don't want any of this."
"Are you sure?" He asked warily. "I don't want you to give all of this up because you're frustrated—"
She shook her head. "I'm not giving it up because I'm frustrated I'm giving it up because it doesn't matter to me. All I want is for you and me to be married, I've waited long enough and I don't want to have to wait two more weeks to call you my husband."
"What are you saying?"
Her eyes lit up. "Let's go get married right now."
"Jess," He exclaimed as he shook his head in disbelief. "We cannot get married right now."
"Why not?" She challenged.
"Because…" He paused. "Because it's ridiculous! Who gets married on a whim?"
"It's not a whim, we're supposed to get married in two weeks so what does it matter if we push up the date a few days?"
"What about our families? They're supposed to be there."
"They'll be there in spirit." She shrugged. "C'mon, Luke, do something crazy and unexpected for once."
"I do crazy and unexpected things." He argued.
"Switching laundry day from Tuesday to Thursday is not crazy or unexpected, it's pathetic, Luke." She laughed.
He sighed as he ran his fingers through his short hair. "Okay." He said simply.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
She absolutely hated being on bed rest. At first, she loved it; relaxing all day, not having to worry about cooking dinner or cleaning up but as the days went on she grew tired of having nothing to do. Julian had caught her twice picking things up around the house and she had been scolded so now she only got out of bed to go to the bathroom like the doctor had instructed. As she flipped through the same old boring daytime television shows she heard the front door open. Everyone she knew had things to do during the day which was why she was always so bored, nobody was around. "Who's there?" She asked skeptically. No one responded. She could hear the click clack of heels on the wood floor though so she knew her visitor was female. She heard her climb the stairs and with each step Brooke grew more and more nervous as to whom this person was.
"Brooke, honey," her mom sighed when she finally revealed herself. "Why don't you have the front door locked?"
She shrugged. "What are you doing here?"
"I was supposed to be here a week ago but there were all sorts of issues down at the Tahitian airport that prevented us from getting back." Victoria said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Peyton called and told me what happened."
Brooke nodded. "Julian tried calling too."
"I know," Victoria said as she hung her head in shame. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine." Brooke responded curtly.
"Brooke, please, I'm trying here."
"No you aren't." She said as she narrowed her eyes. "All you've said since you walked in was that Peyton called and told you what happened and asked if I'm okay. That's not trying; that's stupid small talk."
"Why don't you like David?"
"If we talk about this and about dad I want the truth. I'm not a kid anymore so you don't have to lie and pretend and sugarcoat things. I want to know what your relationship with dad was like." She said.
"Okay," Victoria said as she straightened out her skirt. "What do you want to know?"
"How did you meet?"
"Brooke," her mom laughed. "I must have told you that story already."
She shook her head. "You were never around to tell me the story."
Brooke saw the regret in her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry for that." She said softly.
"But you're around now and that's what matters." Brooke slightly smiled.
"I was a waitress at the country club where he and his family frequented. I guess you could say it was love at first sight because before either one of us knew what was happening we were sneaking away together because if his family found out he was seeing me all hell would break loose. As time went on our feelings deepened and we realized that we really did love each other so he proposed one night in the middle of the street. We grew up in a small town where everyone knows everyone, kind of like here, so within seconds the whole town knew that wealthy Ethan Davis had just asked poor Victoria Bloom to marry him and she had said yes. His parents were livid but there was nothing they could do about it, they had threatened to take his trust fund away but he was nineteen and it was turned over in his name when he turned eighteen. Your dad couldn't stand that his family wouldn't accept me so we left."
"Where'd you go?" Brooke asked.
"New York. Your dad had an uncle up there who gave him a job at his company and as they years went on he worked his way up and eventually became vice president. That's when we found out we were going to be parents, shortly after he was named VP." Victoria smiled. "What your dad didn't know was that I had been unfaithful."
Brooke's face fell. "What?"
"I cheated on your dad, Brooke, and I knew that there was no way for the baby inside of me to be his so I terminated the pregnancy one afternoon while he was at a meeting and that night I told him I had suffered a miscarriage—"
"How could you do that to him?" Brooke asked, enraged.
"You wanted me to be honest, dear," Victoria said. "You wanted to know our story so I'm telling you."
"How could you cheat on him?"
She shrugged. "He worked a lot and I got lonely—"
"That's not an excuse to cheat on your husband!" Brooke exclaimed.
"Brooke, please calm down." Victoria pleaded. "Let me continue and then you can judge me." When she didn't get an objection, Victoria continued. "I know what I did was wrong but at the time I thought he was sleeping with his receptionist. When I found out that he wasn't I felt terrible. But, I didn't feel as bad as I should have. I realized in the days that I spent alone shopping or at the spa that I had fallen out of love with your dad. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to leave him because I didn't know what would happen to me if I did. He took care of me, he loved me and he had more money than God. I had grown up with nothing so being able to drop $5,000 on clothes on a random Tuesday afternoon was something I didn't want to lose. I had grown accustom to living a high society life." Victoria looked up at Brooke for a moment before she continued. "The day that I had finally convinced myself to leave because it wasn't fair to either of us was the day I found out I was pregnant with you." She said as she reached out for her daughter's hand. "Your dad was so happy and overjoyed, and once he found out you were a girl he was even more excited. But then one day during my eighth month he found me in a compromising situation with our neighbor Karl. I had tld him it was nothing but we both knew it was something." Victoria said sadly. "I had expected him to file for divorce and kick me to the streets but he didn't. He said that we would stay together for the sake of our daughter. He said that we were beyond repair and that I had betrayed him in the worst way, it was unforgiveable." She paused as she wiped tears from her eyes. "After you were born your dad became president of the company and work required his constant attention. Being around you reminded me of all I had lost with your dad so I preferred to be in Paris or Barcelona or Rome rather than with my own daughter. I regret that so much, Brooke. I regret what I did to your dad and not a day goes by where I don't think about how different all our lives would have been if I hadn't screwed up."
"They would have been really different," Brooke said. "But who's to say they would have been better?"
Victoria nodded.
"Why didn't you go and visit him when he was dying?" Brooke asked.
"He paid for everything while I was on my trips. Even after I had hurt him like I had he still took care of me. He told me that if being with Karl made me happy than I should keep seeing him and that one day he'd move on like I clearly had."
"He didn't, did he?" Brooke asked.
Victoria shook her head. "That's why I couldn't face him. He never stopped loving me even after everything I put him through. I know that the divorce killed him but I couldn't go on being married to him when I was sleeping with other men, Brooke. I knew it wasn't right and it was time I put an end to the charade we were playing."
Brooke played with a string on the bedspread. "Did you ever really love him? I mean really love him with your whole being?" She asked.
Victoria sighed. "The love I felt for your father isn't comparable to the love I've felt for all the other men in my life. I loved your dad more than I've loved anyone else in the world other than you. I just didn't know how to show it." She said as a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Brooke leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her mother. "I forgive you." She said softly. "Dad does too."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lucas paced nervously back and forth outside the women's bathroom at the courthouse. Jess had been in there for a long time and he wasn't sure what was taking her so long. "Jess," he said as he knocked on the door for the fifth time. "Are you almost ready?"
"No." She replied. "I don't know if I can do this."
He leaned against the door. "It's okay to be scared, Jess. I'm scared to death to get married again but I love you more than I've loved anyone and so I know that we're going to be okay." He sighed. "Please open the door."
"I can't." She said.
He sighed deeply as he reached into his pocked and pulled out his phone and waited for her to answer.
"Hi Luke!" She chirped. "Are you calling to ask if you can come over and entertain me because I'd love that. We can play a game or something if you want. Remember when we used to play Scrabble for hours? We could do that."
He laughed. "I can tell that you're sick of being on bed rest."
"I've been sick of it from the first day." She replied. "What's up?"
"I'm actually calling because I need a favor. Jess has locked herself in the bathroom at the courthouse and she won't come out. The judge can't wait around forever, Brooke." He said as he looked down the hallway toward the chambers.
"Are you guys getting married?" Brooke cried in disbelief. "I thought the wedding was in two weeks!"
"It was supposed to be but we decided to screw all that but now I think she's getting cold feet and rethinking everything even though she was the one who suggested we get married today."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Come down here and talk to her?" He smiled.
"Julian would kill me and my mom's making lunch in the kitchen so I can't even try to sneak out." She said. "What if you told her I wanted to talk to her and then you gave her the phone?"
Lucas nodded. "That could work. Hold on." He said as he knocked on the door. "Jess, babe, Brooke's on the phone and she wants to talk to you." It took a couple seconds but he heard her stand up and unlock the door before sticking her hand out. "Here she is." He told Brooke before handing her the phone.
"Hi." Jess said softly after she closed and locked the door again.
"Hey you." Brooke smiled. "Julian's going to be livid when he finds out that you got married without him."
"He'll get over it." She shrugged.
"What's going on?" Brooke asked softly. "Today should be the happiest day of your life."
"I'm scared." She said as she sank down against the wall. "What if we end up like him and Peyton did? What if we're moving too fast and we ruin what we have? What then, Brooke?"
"That's not going to happen—"
"You can't promise that." Jess argued.
"Can I tell you something I've never told anyone before?"
"I guess."
"There was a time in my life when I didn't believe in love because I had seen it fail time after time whether it was with my parents or Lucas or Chase or the other boyfriends I had in college. There are always those big romantic gestures and long, heartfelt speeches we see in the movies but I didn't think they existed in real life but then I met Julian and all that changed. I started to believe in love and realized that it can conquer all if you open yourself up to it. I was so scared to allow myself to be loved and open and vulnerable but the day I decided to let him in was the best day of my life. It changed everything and I know now that as long as we're together anything is possible. You and I are a lot alike, Jess. We're strong and independent yet broken and scared to love but you have to take a chance. You have to let yourself fall so that he can catch you and I promise he's going to be there to do that. You're different than Peyton. He's different now because of what happened and he's never going to let something like that happen to him again. The fact that he's marrying you is proof enough that he believes in love and that the two of you are going to be more than okay." Brooke told her.
"Do you think I'm crazy for calling off the wedding and getting married today?"
"No." Brooke answered honestly.
"Okay then," She sighed. "I'm really doing this."
"Were you hoping I would talk you out of this?" Brooke laughed.
Jess shrugged. "Sort of."
"Go get married, Jess." Brooke smiled. "Lucas is waiting."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
She had left five days ago and was now on her way back…for good this time. Mike had done as he had promised Brooke and had taken Peyton out to dinner where they talked but more importantly listened to each other. They then went home and talked to Steve who had agreed to move to Tree Hill once Colleen had passed away. Ironically, she passed away that night. The funeral had been yesterday and Peyton struggled to hold it together for the sake of Mike and Steve. Connor and Hannah had no idea what was going on and Peyton didn't want to scare them so she had plastered on a smile for their sake. Neighbors had helped pack boxes and had told Steve they'd take care of the sale of the house for him. Everything went as smoothly as it could have gone but as they were driving back to Tree Hill, Peyton couldn't help but feel guilty. Colleen had died just days ago and they were already moving away from her.
"Stop it."
Peyton turned her attention away from the passing cars outside the window and looked at Mike. "What?"
"Stop feeling guilty about this."
She stared at him. "How could—why?"
He smiled as he reached for her hand. "I know you better than you think I do."
"I'm glad we're going home." She said softly, careful not to wake Connor, Hannah and Steve who were sleeping in the back.
"I am too." He agreed.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
She sat in the middle of her bed staring at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. It was beautiful. She loved Jack more than she had ever loved anyone but she still felt unsure about marrying him. She wished she hadn't said yes but instead that they were too young and she'd think about it. She didn't want to rush into anything. She had dreams and goals and she was scared that if she married Jack all that she wanted to accomplish wouldn't be possible anymore. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the person standing in her doorway.
"When were you planning on telling me you were getting married?"
The voice surprised her causing her to jump. "Oh my god," she gasped as she quickly took the ring off and stuffed it under a pillow. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to see that it's a pretty nice ring."
"Brooke, I'm—"
She held up her hand instantly silencing her daughter. Sam feared that she would start yelling and screaming and then collapse due to the amount of stress she was under so she was surprised when Brooke wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay." She said softly.
Sam pulled away and shook her head. "It's not, though." She argued. "I shouldn't have said yes."
"Why not?"
"We're seventeen!" She cried. "We're too young to get married! I don't even know if I want to get married, I've always wanted to have a one night stand but I can't do that if I'm married!"
Brooke laughed as she raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" She asked.
"You aren't supposed to be laughing!" Sam exclaimed.
"I'm sorry," she said as she reached under the pillow for the ring Sam had stashed earlier. "When did he propose?"
"Valentine's Day." Sam smiled.
Brooke's eyes widened. "You've kept this a secret for that long?"
"It's only been six weeks." She shrugged.
"Which is a pretty long time," she countered. "What happened to us, Sam? There was a time when we shared everything with each other."
She looked down at her chipped nails. "It's not just us anymore. You have Julian, Ryan, Emma and a baby on the way to worry about. I'm not the messed up one anymore, Emma is and it's important that you fix her just like you fixed me."
"You fixed me too, you know." Brooke said softly. "You've made me who I am today."
Sam scoffed. "No I didn't."
"Yes you did." She nodded. "You made me a mom."
Sam shrugged. "I guess."
"Those first few days were hell. I couldn't understand why you were always disappearing and you were by far the most sarcastic person I had ever met. But somewhere along the way we fell in sync and we forged a bond that can never be broken. You're my daughter, Sam. I love you more than anything and I know that we haven't been as close as we were when it was just the two of us but we don't have to keep drifting. I want you to feel like you can come to me when you have a problem and not feel like you're a burden—"
"What about when you're with Ryan or Emma? What about when the baby gets here? I don't want to take you away from them because they need you."
"You need me just as badly, sweetheart." She said as she cupped the side of Sam's face.
Sam melted into her mother's touch and she couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I am too." Brooke said as she wrapped her arms around her.
"So," Sam sniffed after regaining her composure. "You're not mad?"
Brooke shook her head.
"Do you think we're crazy?"
"Maybe a little bit." She grinned.
"Do you think we can make it?"
She nodded. "Do you?"
Sam shrugged. "I don't know."
"Do you want to know what I think?"
Sam nodded eagerly.
"I think that you and Jack were made for each other. He's not afraid to stand up to you and you're not afraid to be vulnerable in his presence. You both had pretty shitty childhoods but you were both able to look past that and get to this moment where everything is okay. You're only seventeen but that doesn't mean what you have with him isn't real. Haley and Nathan were sixteen when they got married and look at them. It can be scary for you because Jack is all you've ever known. You've never been with another boy and thinking that you'll only be with Jack for the rest of your life can be daunting. What if you grow apart? What if what you want and what he wants differs ten years down the road? Those things might happen but I don't think that you will ever stop loving him. A relationship isn't supposed to be easy, nor is love or marriage. It's not what we all see in the movies or on television shows. It's dirty and messy and frustrating. But it's worth it. There are going to be times when you want to throw in the towel and call it quits but then there are going to moments when you are so overjoyed that you can't imagine your life without him. I know that you're still unsure about marrying him and I don't blame you. Don't rush into anything you aren't comfortable with but know this: I believe in what you and Jack can be. I know what you have with him is real and is capable of lasting a lifetime."
Sam wiped her eyes. "Thank you." She said. "I really needed that."
Brooke pulled her in close. "I know you did."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Later that night after the dishes had been done, bathes had been given and stories had been read, she lay in his arms content. "Can you believe that in six months we're going to have a baby?"
He shook his head. "Crazy, huh?"
She nodded. "There's a bump."
"What?"
"It's small but there's definitely a bump there." She smiled as she reached for his hand. He felt the incredibly small swell of her stomach and grinned.
"What was that?" He asked suddenly.
She sat up quickly as did he. "I don't know." She replied as she stared down at her stomach. "Do you think it was a kick?"
He shrugged. "Do you?"
"I don't know. Maybe it'll happen again." She reached for his hand and placed it next to hers on her belly. Within moments it happened again.
"It's definitely a kick." Julian smiled as he looked over at her to see her crying. "It's okay." He said softly as he cupped her face in his free hand.
"I know," She nodded. "I just never thought we'd get to experience this. It's amazing."
He kissed the top of her head. "It is." He agreed.
They lay under the covers with their hands on her belly waiting for the next kick. She fell asleep before him and with each kick that came he feared that she would wake up from it but she didn't. He smiled as he felt his son or daughter make contact with his hand time after time. Eventually the baby stopped and Julian started to worry that something was wrong.
"It's okay," She whispered.
"You're awake?"
She nodded. "The baby's fine, nothing's wrong."
"How did—are you—"
"I know you better than you think." She smiled as she nestled against his chest and instantly fell back asleep. He smiled to himself as he held her in his arms and looked forward to the day; six months away that he would finally meet his son or daughter.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Review please!