Oops, Chapter 9

A/N: I should so be doing other things, but what can you do?

Month Eight

Haley

She was done crying. The last day she saw him was graduation. He'd avoided her eyes.

Lucas and Jake had both kindly offered to kill him for her and while she appreciated the thought, Haley had told them in no uncertain terms that Nathan wasn't worth it. He wasn't the person she thought he was.

Raising her chin firmly, Haley finished her packing.

"Haley, are you sure you want to do this?" Brooke turned toward her awkwardly.

"I can't see him again, Brooke, I can't-" Haley shook her head, trying to prevent a resurgence of tears.

"I can't believe he said that, Haley," Brooke shrugged helplessly.

"Stop," Haley breathed, "Please, Brooke? Nothing about him."

"I'm so sorry, Haley. You can borrow my jack ass ex if you'd like," Brooke suggested.

Haley laughed, "At least he accepts responsibility."

"But kisses blonde whores," Brooke pouted.

"Mine does that too," Haley grumbled.

"Why didn't any of us see fit to nail Jake?"

"Too healthy?" Haley asked.

"We could have all just been part of the Jagielski harem!" Brooke grinned, "Oh oh, we could all get a house together and switch off days!"

"I call Tuesdays!" Haley blurted quickly.

"Whatever! You can't just call a day!" Brooke pouted.

"Wanted it, didn't you?"

"Shut up," Brooke pouted.

Peyton

"Don't be such a jackass," Peyton glared at her ex.

"Why would you want to hang out with him?" Nathan whined.

"What's wrong with Jake?" Peyton rolled her eyes, "He doesn't spend half his life pouting like some other people?"

"Of course, because everything's just peachy with everybody's pal Jake," he sneered.

"Whatever," Peyton rolled her eyes, "You've been in the worst mood forever. You know, I thought you'd cheer up when Haley told you-"

"WHAT?" he gaped at her, "How could that possibly cheer me up?!"

Peyton was repulsed. Jackass. "You liked her so much, I just thought maybe it would help to understand what she was going through, but whatever."

"Fine. Great. I understand. She's pregnant. Whoopdeedoo. So is everyone, apparently," he shrugged, "So can we go back to our nice little rule of never saying the H-word?"

"Whatever," Peyton glared at him.

"But speaking of everyone being pregnant, is it true my estranged brother, St. Lucas knocked up the Brookester?"

Peyton gave him the finger as she waddled from the room.

Nathan

Whatever. So it wasn't that funny.

But Nathan found it validating.

The ever-so-perfect-one knocked up his girlfriend. Or, ex-girlfriend as it stood.

Nathan frowned slightly. It was disturbing how much they had in common sometimes.

Unable to resist the temptation, Nathan sprinted to his window and called out to Peyton, "So all your friends are pregnant?"

Even from the distance, he could read the hate glare.

"What was that, Peyton?"

"Go fuck yourself, Nathan," she slammed her car door and he chuckled.

Most fun he'd had in months.

A phone rang and he frowned, looking around the room to find Peyton's cell on the bed. Nice.

"Peyton Sawyer's party line. Scott speaking," he answered, secretly hoping it would be some kind of easily offended relative.

"Umm, is Ms. Sawyer there?"

"Sorry, she stepped out for a minute, could I take a message?"

"Did you say this was Mr. Scott?"

"Yeah…"

"This is the county hospital again, Mr. Scott."

Again? He frowned, "What's the problem?"

"We had an opening for today if you and Ms. Sawyer would like to move up your appointment for the paternity test."

"The…what?" Nathan sank to the bed.

"The pat-" the woman broke off abruptly, "Is this Lucas Scott?"

"Nathan," he corrected, "Nathan Scott."

"Oh…God. I…if you could please have Ms. Sawyer return my call," she hung up abruptly and Nathan stared at the phone.

"She will definitely get the message," he murmured.

Peyton Sawyer had lied to him.

Nathan picked up his own cell phone.

That had really been a mistake.

"What do you want, jackass?" a familiar voice came over the line.

"Brooke," Nathan smiled, "Have I got some gossip for you."

Brooke

"This better be quick, Nathan," Brooke dumped her spoon back in the ice cream tub and hit pause on her chick flick.

"We were both aware of the prom incident in which your now ex and my then still ex were caught kissing in the guest room?"

Brooke clenched her teeth, "Is there a reason for this besides fucking with my emotions, jerk off?"

He laughed through the phone as a female, Brooke couldn't help the shiver that went down her neck. "Well, I had assumed this was an isolated incident. Indeed, Peyton said as much to me right after. However, I just received some information today that makes me think our dear Ms. Sawyer was lying."

Brooke licked her lips. She wasn't surprised. Had long since accepted, in fact, that Lucas was in love with her best friend and there was nothing she could do about it.

She was fat, after all.

Her baby kicked, as though to disagree with her assessment and she couldn't stop her small smile.

"Hey you," she patted her tummy.

"Brooke?"

"Oh, right, what was that?"

Nathan snorted, "I think our exes are having an affair."

"Tell me something I don't know," Brooke rolled her eyes.

"He's taking a paternity test today."

Her heart stopped. "But- But he already-" She bit back her words, but it was too late.

"Already had one?" Nathan growled. "So you knew."

"No, I, I-"

"Brooke, why are you protecting her?"

Not a bad question, Brooke frowned. "I knew."

"So she was cheating on me," he concluded.

"No, it was after-"

"Brooke, how blind do you think I am?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" she shot back.

"He hooked up with you right after we broke up. She had to be cheating."

"Unless they were going at it the whole time," she muttered bitterly.

"Nice try," Nathan snorted, "Now put away that ice cream."

Brooke frowned and clutched her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough protectively. "Why?"

"You wanna have some fun?"

***

Lucass

There were a few things that were constant in Lucas's life. Black. White. Absolute, undeniable truth.

And everything that he thought he knew about his life when Karen caught his attention.

"Hey Lucas, someone's here to see you."

And with that, he saw Nathan Scott standing in the café.

"Hey there, Lucas," his brother grinned.

Hell froze over. Pigs flew. Chubby kids got popular. And Tim got a date.

The world as he knew it had flipped on its axis.

"I-uh…" Lucas pulled himself together, "Hi."

Nathan smirked and he latched onto the familiarity of it. "Care to join us?"

Following the gesture, he saw her and Nathan's insufferable face melted to the background.

"Brooke…hey," he smiled, finding himself seated next to her in moments.

"Lucas," she nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"You look beautiful."

"I'm fat," she glared at him as though this were entirely his fault.

Which, he supposed, was sort of true.

"You're gorgeous," Lucas corrected.

Nathan slid into a chair next to Brooke and shook his head, "Don't even try it, man. There's no reasoning with them."

Thankfully, this caused the Brooke-hatred to rapidly transfer to his brother, giving Lucas the opportunity to stare like a fool.

"Nathan…Lucas?" he was roused from an intense fantasy by the unwelcome presence of his sort-of-ex.

"Peyton?" Lucas frowned.

"Yeah, Brooke…you wanted to see me?"

Brooke smirked. As did Nathan.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and the temptation to run from the café was overpowering. They were up to no good and they were in it together.

Very few things terrified him more.

"Peyton, pull up a chair," Nathan smiled, "Just a little get together with the knocked up and the knocker uppers."

Tentatively, Peyton sat down, looking around helplessly.

"Why not bring Haley to this shindig, then?" Lucas glared at his brother.

Nathan's face went a little whiter and he took a sip of his water. "Well, to be totally fair, we'd have to call Jake up too and then where would we be? Needing a bigger table," he shrugged, "It's nice and cozy as it is."

Lucas rolled his eyes.

"But you KNOW, before we get this party started," Nathan took something out of his pocket and slid it across the table to Peyton. Her cell. "I have a message for you, let's see…there is room for you to squeeze in a paternity test today if you want to move up your appointment."

Words. Breath. All semblance of thought left him and he blinked stupidly at his brother.

Peyton

He knew. Brooke knew.

"Nathan-"

"Don't even try it, Peyton. I didn't love you, but I trusted you."

"I'm sorry. I took a test before I told you, it said he wasn't the father, but now they might have messed up…" Tears started spilling down her cheeks.

"And yet, I seem to recall you saying something about me being the only man you'd been with," he smirked, "Not so much the truth, is it, darling?"

"Nate, I just didn't want to hurt you-"

"You didn't," he cut her off.

"But if Haley-"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME TO ME!" he yelled at her, making everyone in the café turn to stare at them.

"Nathan," Brooke lay a hand on his arm and Lucas gaped at him in shock.

"Look," Nate started again, only quieter, "We're getting a paternity test. Now. Both of us. I want this over with. Brooke?" he offered her his arm as he stood.

She took it, ignoring both blondes.

"Brooke-" Peyton tried to get her friend's attention.

"Honestly, Peyton," Brooke sighed, "Just stop."

Brooke

He thought she was beautiful.

Really, she knew there should have been something else to be gotten from the experience, other than the keen satisfaction in seeing Nathan rip Blondie to shreds.

But she couldn't help smiling.

Lucas thought she was gorgeous.

He better, her smile flipped over, it was his fault she was fat, after all.

The only thing that disturbed her about the whole situation was Nathan. Nothing he did made sense.

Well, taking it to the blondes made sense, but his attitude toward Haley was a mystery.

He was acting like she had dumped him. Worse, almost as though she was dead. No…Brooke's eyes narrowed.

Like she cheated on him.

But she hadn't. On the flip side, Blondie-the-cheating-whoreface, he didn't seem to care about in the least.

"Nathan-"

"Brooke, I recognize that meddling tone and I have this really strong impression that I'm going to regret whatever comes out of your mouth next."

"But-"

"Please, Brooke," he looked at her and she was shocked at his wounded, defeated expression.

"Okay," she backed down as he opened the car door for her.

This was so not over.

Lucas

It was just a tad awkward. Sitting around with two ex lovers and an estranged brother, trying to figure out how many of them you knocked up awhile back.

Well, he hadn't knocked up the brother, but… Lucas shook his head. He was thinking way too much.

"Oh!" Brooke's hands went to her protruding stomach and their eyes met.

"Brooke-"

"Shh," she murmured and took his hand, placing it on her stomach.

Just touching her again overwhelmed him and Lucas found himself not wanting his son to kick because it would be over, he'd have to move his hand and he didn't want to.

"Did you feel that?" Brooke smiled.

"No," he shook his head, pressing tighter against her.

But then he did and he gave her a huge smile.

She grinned back and he couldn't help himself, he kissed her.

It was sweet, he didn't devour her face like he wanted to, but tried to tell her that he loved her. It was the only way he could make her listen.

"Ms. Sawyer?" a nurse came out to them.

Peyton didn't bother trying to get up, "Yes?"

"Your results are ready, would you like to see them?"

Peyton swallowed, "Just read them."

Clasping Brooke's hand tightly in his, Lucas tried to breathe.

This was it.

Nathan

He couldn't stop shaking.

It could have been the sheer revulsion of Brooke letting Lucas letting her touch after all that drama, but it wasn't. There was more to it.

Was it his daughter or wasn't it?

On the one hand, if it was, everything would be pretty much how he'd planned for all these months. He'd started to look forward to her a little bit, planned how she would play basketball…if she wanted, of course, with no pressure.

She'd kicked his hand as though she recognized his voice. The idea that might not be his child was foreign.

But on the other side of the coin, past the attachment that had grown the last few months was the freedom right there, begging for him to follow it.

No matter how much Peyton cheated, he couldn't abandon a child that was his. He wasn't his father, Nathan clenched his teeth grimly.

But if it wasn't his…he could have his life back.

The woman opened the envelope. "Nathan Scott?"

"Yes?" he licked his lips.

"You are not the father."

"Oh God," Peyton and Brooke both collapsed into sobs at the announcement and Lucas murmured apologies into Brooke's ear.

Nathan couldn't move. He was free. He could do anything. Go to college on time, not have to deal with this right now. Anything he wanted!

Haley's face flashed in his mind and he reached for his phone to call her before he remembered.

It was too late. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Lucas Scott?"

His brother sighed and turned to the nurse, defeated.

"You're not the father either."

Haley

She hadn't wanted anyone to come with her. Didn't like the tearful scenes, particularly with Brooke.

"Do you think you could put these in the mail for me?" Haley asked the ticket agent, holding up a few letters.

"Surely can, dear," the older woman nodded, "Now your flight is at Gate E, do you know where that is? Just down the hall, the first security checkpoint and follow the signs. Have a good flight."

"Thank you, I will."

Haley picked up her carry on and made her way down the hallway.

From here on out, her life would be different.

TBC