Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm not replying individually right now because I'm trying to hurry up on some chapters because I'm going on vacation next week and I want to get you some chapters to hold you all over. But don't think your reviews have gone unnoticed because they haven't. Thanks all for their suggestions and comments.
This chapter skips a lot to when the new baby is about three months and Braden is a year. I have finally found a direction for this story so it'll be easier to write. Please keep the suggestions coming and I will work what you want into my storyline.
Remember to review, as always!
"I'll get her." Lucas said trudging through their new apartment. They needed an apartment with three bedrooms and it was just better because it was closer to campus than their old one. The sunlight was peeking through the curtains of their newest edition's room. The tiny infant squirmed while screaming on the top of her lungs.
"Bella, let's be kind." Lucas said lifting his child out of her crib, "Can't you just sleep for a few more minutes?"
Bella stared at her groggy daddy and smiled. How could Lucas stay mad when he was smiled at by this beautiful baby girl.
"You are truly Brooke's daughter." Lucas smiled back at her. Lucas noticed that Bella was the complete opposite of Braden. He had been a quiet baby while Bella liked to scream. Braden liked to be by himself while Bella liked all the attention. Braden was like a little Lucas and Bella was like a miniature Brooke.
Lucas carried the little girl across the hall into Braden's room to check if he was awake. There he was sitting quietly with his bear, staring up a Lucas with his big blue eyes.
"Hey there buddy." Lucas said lifting him out of his crib and placing him on the floor. As soon as he was down he took off running towards Brooke and Lucas' room. Lucas tried to catch him before he woke Brooke but it was too late.
"Hey baby." Brooke said sleepily, "How you doing?"
Braden giggled as his mother placed him in bed with her. Bella, seeing her brother getting more attention than her, began screaming for her mother.
"Bring her over." Brooke motioned for Lucas to come in bed too, "It's a party in mommy and daddy's bed."
"Hey hunnie." Lucas kissed Brooke's forehead softly, "I tried to let you sleep."
"Don't worry about me. I'm supermom." Brooke joked laying down with the three lumps in their bed.
"Does that mean I'm superdad or Mr. Supermom?" Lucas joked watching his kids play under the sheets.
"I'll think about it." Brooke closed her eyes smiling, "I still can't believe how big she's getting."
"They're both growing up so fast." Lucas said tickling the lumps in the sheets. He was satisfied when he heard the small giggles. Braden was already a year old and Bella almost three months now and it felt like just yesterday Braden was born.
"How'd we get so lucky?" Brooke swung her legs over the side of the bed. She was up for the day so it didn't matter how long she stayed in bed.
"I thought you knew how they got here." Lucas joked sticking Braden and his bear under his arm and cradled Bella in the other arm.
"Lucas." Brooke said laughing, "You're going to permanently going to damage that kid if you handle him like that."
"He'll live." Lucas pretended to drop him, scaring Brooke to death.
"Not at this rate he won't." Brooke reached and snatched Bella out of his arms.
"Keith held me like this all the time when I was little." Lucas said holding Braden in a way that would meet Brooke's standards.
"And look how you turned out." Brooke teased walking to the kitchen to make some coffee.
"Hey," Lucas said finally catching on to her insult.
Braden squirmed to get down out of his father's arms. He hated being carried; he only liked running. He found his favorite place behind the one couch where he hid all his favorite toys from his little sister.
Brooke placed Bella into her little play seat and went to enjoy her cup of coffee. As soon as Brooke walked away the baby began screaming. She had some kind of separation problem.
"Isabella, you're going to kill us at this rate." Lucas said sitting on the floor next to his daughter. He played with the little toys on her seat trying to make her play with them too so he too could enjoy a hot cup of coffee. This little girl wasn't easily fooled.
There was a soft knock on the front door. It wasn't even seven o'clock in the morning and already people were at the door. The knock became a little louder unsure if they should pound or just walk away.
"Coming!" Brooke yelled climbing over Lucas. She unlocked the door and opened it revealing Haley and Nathan, Nathan looking half asleep.
"I told you they'd be up." Haley turned to Nathan punching him playfully.
"Well good for them. I want to sleep." Nathan said pissed off.
"You always sleep." Haley said walking into the apartment.
"Sleep is good." Nathan said plopping himself on the couch.
"I second that." Lucas said from where he was laying on the floor.
"Finally you too agree about something!" Haley said way to cheerfully for seven o'clock in the morning.
"Go to sleep Haley." Nathan said pulling him down next to him on the couch.
"Where's my favorite nephew?" Haley said looking around the room, only seeing Bella.
"Where else would he be?" Brooke motioned to behind the couch, where her son spent most of his time.
"Braden," Haley reached back behind the couch and pulled the child onto her lap, "Spend some time with Aunt Haley."
"Hales, you're scaring the poor kid." Nathan reached for him and placed him on his lap, "I think he'd rather be sleeping too."
The only difference between Lucas and Braden was that Braden liked Nathan and Lucas didn't so much. Lucas hated the fact that Nathan and Braden got along so well. Lucas didn't want Braden to turn out like Nathan did.
"Lucas," Brooke whispered blocking his view of Nathan and Braden, "Get over it."
"Over it." Lucas whispered back turning back to Bella.
"Liar." Brooke said playing with Bella's hair.
"And how's my little Isabella?" Haley said joining them on the floor.
"Haley, what are you doing here anyway?" Lucas finally asked as Haley played with Bella too.
"Oh yeah," Haley hesitated, "We almost forgot."
"You almost forgot. I didn't want to come here anyway." Nathan said smugly from the couch.
"Nathan," Haley gave him a death glare, "Shut up."
"I'm going to sleep." Nathan said closing his eyes.
"Good, it's better than when you're quiet." Haley said sharply.
"So do tell us." Brooke had so many ideas in her head.
"Okay, Brooke, don't hate me." Haley said nervously trying to think of a way to say what Brooke needed to know.
"I could never hate you," Brooke was getting nervous now too, "I think."
"Thanks for the reassurance." Haley said sarcastically.
"The suspense is killing me Hales." Brooke needed to know what Haley had done to make Brooke hate her.
"Well you know those sketches you let me look at." Haley paused rethinking her words.
"What did you do to them?" Those were the only sketches Brooke had.
"We I left them out and Professor Morrow found them and she said that she knows someone in L.A. that's looking for your kind of talent. She called her and she wants to see you to make your sketches come to life." Haley said in one drawn out breath.
"What?" Brooke could not believe what Haley was telling her.
"They loved your designs. They want to make samples of your stuff and see how they sell." Haley calmed down a bit.
"I can't believe you did this!" Brooke sketched for fun. She never thought she was good enough to actually make the clothes.
"There's just one catch." Haley got a little nervous again.
"I don't like the sound of this." Brooke didn't want to get her hopes up.
"They need you to go out to L.A." Haley said timidly.
"I can't," Brooke said disappointedly, "I'm a mother now and I can't leave my babies alone."
"For how long would she have to go?" Lucas wanted Brooke to take this opportunity.
"I don't know like a week or two." Haley was surprised at Lucas' reaction.
"I can take care of the kids for a week or two. Plus I'll have Haley or Peyton if I need some help." Lucas didn't want to be the reason Brooke was not able to be the best person she could.
"Well actually, Peyton and I wanted to go with Brooke." Haley paused again, "But's there's always Nathan and Jake."
"I don't know about this." Brooke wanted this so bad but she couldn't just think about herself. She had a husband and two beautiful kids; she didn't know if she could be away from them for so long.
"What's not to know?" Lucas asked pushing Braden away from him so he could take place in this serious conversation.
"I've got a family now. I can't just go chase some childhood dream." Brooke shook her head deciding not to go.
"Brooke," Lucas sat up next to her, "How long have you wanted this?"
"Forever, but it's just not my top list of priorities." Brooke would not let Lucas talk her out of her decision.
"Well now your making me feel guilty." Lucas knew exactly how to play with Brooke's mind.
"And why would you feel guilty?" Brooke was being pulled into another one of Lucas' traps.
"Because if I had never gotten you pregnant in the first place you would be out their chasing your dreams." Lucas knew she was hooked; all he had to do was reel her in.
"Lucas don't talk like that. Braden and Bella are the best things that have ever happened to me." Brooke hated when Lucas dragged their kids into the argument.
"Then you have to go to L.A. and do this. If you won't do it for me, do it for them." Lucas motioned to the two babies fighting over a toy.
"Alright, Lucas, you win. I'll go, but on one condition. If things get to tough for you then you call me and I'm coming home." Brooke realized that he had done it again. Lucas used his little mind trick to change her mind.
"Yay!" Haley squealed, "I've got to go call Peyton and tell her the trips on."
Things to come: Haley, Brooke and Peyton leave for their trip to L.A. but take a wrong turn and end up somewhere and meet up with someone they never thought they would ever see again. Lucas juggles handling the kids and a social life when a familiar stranger shows up followed by a new character.