Ok, i hope this chapter is good. Please, i need some sort of advice, comments on the story. i only got one review and i hope that i get some more this time. Anyways, this is a sad one, especially the end, so get your tissues.
Sara
They walked to the car, Brooke pushing one stroller and Lucas pushing the other. "This isn't going to be that bad." Brooke thought to herself. She spotted the car and started to dig for her keys. "Hey babe, do you have the keys?" She asked, waiting for Lucas to get to the car.
"It's open!" He shouted, trying not to wake Sophia.
Brooke opened the door to the Escalade and hooked Sydni in. She then went to get into her usual seat next to Sydni, when she realized that she couldn't sit there anymore. Lucas and Brooke were then faced with their first task as parents of 2 babies. Before Sophia, Brooke and Lucas had finally gotten going out with Sydni down to a science. Brooke would sit in the seat next to Sydni so that if she needed her mommy, Brooke would be right there. Now, everything was going to be different, and harder. "Lucas" Brooke whined, from the passenger side of the car. "Where am I supposed to sit?"
Lucas furrowed his brow and tried to think of the gentlest way to brake the news to Brooke. "Babe, I think that you're gonna have to fore-fit your seat to Sophia." Lucas smiled at Brooke's reaction. She pouted and placed her hands on her hips. "Or, I could try and rearrange the seats?" He asked, hopping that she wouldn't make him do that.
Sophia and Sydni both started to cry, and Brooke gave up. "I guess I can sit in the front, but it's only because they need to get home and it'll take you forever to figure out how to move the seats." She sighed, hopping up into the front seat.
Lucas looked down at Sophia as he snapped her car seat into the base. "She thinks that she's so smart Sophie! Lets see how she feels when she has to do this without me here." Lucas got behind the wheel and started the car. "Lets go home!" Lucas said, backing out of the parking space. Lucas looked at Brooke as they waited at a red light. She was looking back bitting her nails. "Don't worry." Lucas reassured her, placing a hand on her knee. "If they need you, you can get to them, and we won't even need to pull over." Lucas kissed Brooke before the light changed to green and she leaned against his shoulder.
The ride went smoothly, until they got about 5 minutes into the 15 minute drive. It was like deja-vu all over again. Sydni started screaming. "Shhh. It's ok baby. Momma's right here. What's wrong" Brooke cooed, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Shhh. It's ok, look, Sophie's not crying. Oh, mamma's gonna figure out what's wrong." She continued until something caught her eye. She saw Sydni's pacifier on floor next to Sydni's seat. "Is this better?" Brooke asked the infant as she gave Sydni the pacifier. Sydni started to suck and quieted down quickly after that. "Crisis avoided!" Brooke stated proudly before turning around and facing forwards.
"See, I knew you could do it Cheery!" Lucas started to snicker to himself, but Brooke caught on.
"Ha ha, very funny. Not!" Brooke said, hurt that Lucas thought that the fact that the girls were suffering was funny. It's not that he thought it was funny, as much as he thought that Brooke was going to have a panic attack from not being able to get to Sydni like she was used to. About two minutes later, Sophie started crying. Brooke felt horrible. She knew Sydni like a book, every cry, whimper, she usually knew why she was crying and how to make her stop. She barely knew Sophie, and with Sydni she had 9 months to get to know her while she grew, but Sophia didn't have that bond with Brooke. "Lucas, what do I do?" She asked, distraught. It broke her heart to hear Sophia hysterical and not know how to comfort her.
"It's ok. We're almost home. She'll be ok for the two minutes that it'll take." Lucas said, reaching his hand back around the seat so that Sophie could see his fingers. She took comfort in this and began to cry less. "See, she's getting better already."
"I'm so happy we're home!" Brooke squealed, taking Sophie out of the car while Lucas took Sydni. "Hey Sophia, this is your new home until mommy comes back. We'll take good care of you bunny, don't worry." Brooke cuddled Sophie as she walked into the house.
"Bunny?" Lucas asked, placing Sydni's car seat on the island next to Sophie's empty one. Lucas picked up his daughter and sat next to Brooke on the couch.
"Yeah, I think that she looks like a bunny when she crinkle's her nose like this." Brooke retorted, demonstrating for Lucas who giggled.
"Oh like this" He laughed, doing the face with Brooke. They laughed until they were interrupted by Lucas's stomach growling loudly. "Babe, I'm starving!" He said, placing Sydni and Sophie in their car seats so that they could eat. "What's for lunch?"
Brooke opened the door to find the refrigerator less than full. "How about sandwiches?" She asked, taking out cheese, turkey, and bread. Sophia gurgled from her seat and Brooke looked at the clock. "Lucas, could you feed her? The hospital sent some formula in the diaper bag for her. I'll have lunch done when you get back k?" She asked/told him.
Lucas walked over and picked up Sophie. "Ok, you hungry bunny?" Brooke was right, she did look like a bunny when she crinkled her nose up. Lucas took the formula and heated it up. He grabbed some diaper clothes and went to sit in the family room. They had bought this big comfy couch and matching chairs. One was almost like a bed, but sitting up. Lucas got comfortable and started to give Sophie her bottle. "So Sophia Claire, do you like your name? I sure do, so does your sister. Sydni and you will always be sisters, and best friends, even when mommy comes back. I know she'll come back, she just has to." Lucas stopped talking and looked into Sophia's big brown eyes. "You know I could get used to this feeding thing. I've only got to feed Sydni twice, and never since we brought her home. I feel cheated, like this is a special time for everyone and I can't be apart of it. Well, not anymore, we'll be lunch buddies, k bunny?" He asked Sophie, who was now asleep in his arms.
Brooke was looking for Lucas, and was getting frustrated and hungry. "Lucas Eugene Scott, where are you!" She quickly hushed herself when she found him putting both girls into Sydni's room. Sophie was already asleep and he had hoped that Sydni would follow her lead and take a nap too. Brooke quietly walked up behind Lucas and put her arms around his waste. "Hey Broody, I think that I need a nap!" Lucas nodded and walked out of the room with Brooke, "But, after lunch! Race ya?" She shouted in a whisper as she got a jump start.
"Cheater!" He cried out in a whisper. They had grown up a lot in the past few months, they had to. But deep down, they were still kids. Lucas ran up to Brooke and picked her up and threw her over his shoulders. "Ha! Got ya! It's a tie." He said, putting her down in the kitchen and sticking his tongue out of his mouth.
They ate their lunch, more like inhaled it, and Lucas cleaned up so that Brooke could shower. When Lucas finally had cleaned the Kitchen and done the dishes, he walked up the stairs, more like dragged himself, and into his room. He there found Brooke, passed out on the bed. Lucas was too tired to shower so he just laid down next to Brooke.
Brooke opened her eyes and was relieved to hear silence. She had finally had an uninterrupted nap and she had woken up refreshed and ready to go. She looked at the clock and saw the time. "Lucas! Wake up!" She shouted at Lucas, who was snoring heavily next to her. "Something's wrong! Come on!" She yelled, dragging Lucas behind her.
"What is it Br..." He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw what Brooke had seen. There, lying peacefully in Sydni's room, awake, were Sophia and Sydni, staring at each other and perfectly content with each other's company. Brooke sat down on Lucas's lap in the glider. She looked around the room and felt a great sense of completeness. It was almost as if all they were missing was Ashley to be a perfect family.
"Oh my Gawd! Lucas, guess what?" Brooke shouted jumping up from Lucas's lap, clapping her hands.
"I'm kind of afraid to guess, but" he looked at Brooke's face, "I guess I don't have a choice so, what?" He asked, pretending to be just as cheery as Brooke was.
"We get to go baby shopping... again!" She squealed as she picked up Sophia and handed her to Lucas before picking up Sydni. "Daddy's going to change Sophia's diaper, yes he is, and mommy's gonna feed you, and then we're going to go shopping. Yes we are, yes we are!" Brooke said in her best, and most annoying, baby voice. Lucas had to admit though, he found himself talking to the girls in baby talk, it was almost contagious, and he hopped that it stopped soon.
Lucas quickly took a shower after he had changed Sophie's diaper. He had really needed the time to regroup before he went shopping with Brooke. She was a serious shopper and he knew that it was going to be huge going shopping with the girls for the first time. Lucas packed up Sophia and walked out to the garage. "Here we go bunny." He said, hooking her in to the car and kissing her nose. Sophie smiled for the first time and Lucas's heart melted. "You're mom should be the one to see your first smile Sophie." He said, talking to her while they waited for the rest of the clan.
"Babe, can you come and get Sydni?" Brooke shouted from the kitchen. Lucas went in the house and grabbed her from the island where she was resting in her car seat. "I'll be out in like two minutes!" Brooke yelled from the bathroom.
"Sure she will," Lucas muttered under his breath as he walked to the car with Sydni. Lucas hooked her in next to Sophia and got into the front seat. "Ok girls, it's been two minutes, how much longer do we think she's going to be?" He asked turning around to the backseat. "More like how much stuff is she going to bring!" Lucas chuckled to himself.
5 minutes later, (not too bad for Brooke) Brooke walked out of the house. She had only one diaper bag, but she also had the camera. "Camera Brooke?" Lucas asked her as she got into the car. Brooke was a little crazy lately so he feared her answer.
"Yes Camera," she snapped back, trying to control her temper. "It's our first family shopping trip and Sydni and Sophia's first shopping trip as best friends, I need to get it on film." Brooke said, turning on the camera.
"But why?" Lucas giggled to himself. "I mean, of course." He recanted after he saw the look in Brooke's eyes.
"Because," Brooke started taking a deep breath, "Ashley's not here and I want her to be able to see her daughters first shopping experience." Brooke said, starting to tear up a little bit. She hadn't thought about Ashley since they had left the hospital, and she was feeling guilty. She knew that Ashley should be doing these 'firsts' with Sophia, but she wasn't there right now. "Ashley, please, be safe. You have a beautiful little girl to come home to."Brooke looked towards the backseat and smiled at the girls. She was so excited that they were going shopping for more baby stuff. Brooke had been hopping that Ashley would have been home to do this with them, but in her heart, she had a feeling that something wasn't right.
"Don't you think Ash'll want to have some opinion on what's going to go into the nursery?" Lucas said, trying to be optimistic. The truth was that he had the same feeling that Brooke had. It was an empty feeling right in his heart that wouldn't go away.
"Yeah, I guess." Brooke frowned as she looked out the window.
"But," Lucas tried to get Brooke excited again. "I guess she's going to need this stuff anyway, and you do have excellent taste." Brooke smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' to Lucas. He always knew how to make her smile and be happy.
As they pulled up to the mall, Brooke's smile grew a mile wide! It was like her home, like she was born to shop (which she probably was) "Ok," Brooke took command as Lucas turned off the car. "Lucas, you take Sydni, I'll take Sophie. We'll go to baby's r' us first, than to Pottery Barn Kids. Finally, to clothes. Ok, are we good?" She asked, getting her 'game face' on. Lucas nodded and laughed at the same time. He loved her, but sometimes she was crazy. Brooke placed Sophia's car seat into a stroller and began walking to the mall. "So Sophia Claire, what are we going to do for your room? Sydni is a princess, but you don't want to have the same. A Ballerina, a fairy, a.." Brooke looked down at Sophie and saw her make the bunny face. "I'm brilliant! A Bunny room. It'll be like a garden with flowers, and butterflies, and bunnies!" Sophie smiled and Brooke kissed her nose. "Stick with me bunny and we'll be all right! Come on Lucas! You're so slow!" She shouted from the entrance to the mall. Lucas followed behind, not only pushing Sydni, but carrying the camera and diaper bag with him. He looked like he was going to collapse any minute, but thankfully, they got to the store just in time.
Brooke knew what she wanted this time around, so Lucas hopped that she would be quicker, for his sake. The girls were also with them and he really didn't want to have them out shopping all day. As Brooke got going, starting with the essentials, Lucas checked his watch. It was around 2 and Nathan was going to come over around 7 to help with locating Ashley. "Ok, Broody, lets go!" Brooke said, showing Lucas what she wanted as he would get it for her and put it in the cart. "Ok, lets see." Brooke took a breath as Lucas sat in a rocking chair, ready to pass out from exhaustion. "We've got pacifiers, a.k.a. coke for babies, blankets, bottles, sleepers, onzies, and yet another stroller." Brooke checked her list as they waited for the cashier to ring them up. Lucas gave her a look but she kissed him and eased his worries. "Don't worry, it's a double. Here, watch." She demonstrated the ease of the double stroller by placing Sydni and Sophia on and pushing it all around the store by herself. "Next stop, Pottery Barn!"
Lucas pushed the girls while Brooke stopped at Baby Gap on the way to get some more clothes. When they finally reached Pottery Barn, Lucas was thankful that he could actually sit down in a comfortable seat while Brooke shopped for the rest of the stuff. Lucas was sitting and playing with the girls when a older woman came up to him. "Aw, they're so cute!"
He smiled and looked at the woman. "Thanks."
"Which is older?" She asked, mesmerized by Sophie and Sydni.
"Uh, this one. Sydni." Lucas said, pointing to the baby in the closest car seat.
"Well, you're one lucky daddy. Good luck, twins are double the trouble, but double the fun." She said and then walked off. Lucas stared at the girls. He almost said something to the woman, but decided not to. The twin comment made the previous day's events sink in. He really wanted to get out of here so that he could meet up with Nathan and they could find Ashley as soon as possible.
Brooke walked toward Lucas with a smile on her face and she sat in his lap, waking him up from a little nap. "Ok, all done. We've got bunny a crib, glider, sheets, changing table, and dresser." Brooke said, tickling a sleeping Sophia's feet.
The two were enjoying a few quiet minutes together when another woman approached them. "You're girls are so cute. Congratulations."
"Thank you." They replied simultaneously.
" May I say, that you look amazing! These baby's cant be more than a few weeks old and you already have lost half the weight of twins. Good luck." She said as she left. Brooke looked at Lucas and he kissed her before he replied.
"I'll explain later, lets go home." Lucas pushed the girls while Brooke pulled the car around so that the stores could load the stuff into the trunk.
When they finally got home, Brooke and Lucas put the girls down for a nap. It was about 5 and Brooke had decided to work on Sophia's nursery a little before dinner. "Babe, I'll be in the new nursery. I've got the monitor so you can go chillax ok?" She said, kissing him.
"I'm actually going to call Nate, see if he can come over now instead of 7, we're going to try and track Ashley down, somehow." His voiced softened as he finished.
Brooke placed her hand on his chin and looked into her husbands piercing blue eyes. "Broody, you'll find her. If anyone can, you can."
"Thanks Cheery. Love you" He replied, kissing her.
"Love you too." She said, smacking his ass. "Still got it." She giggled as she skipped off to Sophie's room.
Lucas shook his head as he dialed Nathan's cell. "Dude, it's me, can you come over now? Yeah my house. I've got a plan." Lucas hung up and brought his laptop out and placed it on the kitchen table. "Ok," he said to himself as he googled North Carolina Hospitals. "Come on Ashley," He prayed as he tried the first number. Five minutes into his plan, Nathan entered the kitchen.
"What's the plan bro?" He asked, taking off his jacket and getting a pop from the fridge before sitting down next to Lucas.
"Well, I was thinking that we could just call hospitals and give out her information. I'm worried that if we go to the cops that Tommy's going to do something to her." He looked down as he finished his statement, trying to get the image out of his head.
"Ok, I'm down." Nate said, picking a number and dialing it. This continued for about 2 hours. Brooke had comedown to eat, but when she saw the hospital list, got to emotional. She thought it would be best if she ate upstairs so she wouldn't think about Ashley laying in a hospital in god knows where alone and afraid. "Dude," Nathan said, hanging his head, "we're not getting anywhere. We've called almost every hospital in North and South Carolina! I think that we should call the cops." Nathan felt the same way about the cops as Lucas but they were getting scared and needed professional help.
"Yeah you're right, I'll just.." Lucas was interrupted by the phone ringing. He looked at the caller i.d. and his eyes lit up as he saw the name come across the screen. "Hello? Ash?" He said excitedly as Nathan began to crowd around him, finally figuring out who was on the phone. His smile quickly changed into a frown when it was not her familiar voice that came through.
"No I'm sorry. This is Holly Family Hospital in Alpheretta Georgia. We found this cell phone among a patients belongings. Do you know the owner of the phone?"
"Yes, Ashely Sinclair. Is she ok?" Lucas asked, pacing the room next to Nathan who was trying to listen in on the conversation.
"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not at liberty to..."
"I'm her daughters father. She's only a few days old, please." Lucas begged, tears streaming down his face.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry to tell you this. Ms. Sinclair was in a car accident. The amount of blood that she lost was..."
Lucas became impatient and angry. "Is she ok?" He shouted rudely into the phone. Nathan told him to calm down , he didn't want to upset the person on the phone, especially since they were the only access to any information about Ashley.
"I'm sorry, but there were no survivors."
Lucas hung up the phone and turned white. He sat down followed by Nathan. "Lucas" He tried to get out without crying. "She's not ok, is she?" Nathan wiped a tear from his eye. All Lucas could do was shake his head and burst into tears.
"What am I gonna do man? How am I going to tell Brooke that her best friend is dead?" Lucas wiped his eye and saw his brother, Mr. Macho crying.
"How am I going to tell Haley?" He sat, staring blankly at the door. "I gotta go man. Good luck. I'll call you later." Nathan rushed out of Lucas's house and to his car, where he sat for a half an hour and cried. As he drove home he decided that he shouldn't tell Haley tonight. She had been really stressed lately and wanted her to get a good nights rest. He really wished that he didn't have to say anything but he knew that he did.
Lucas walked up from his seat and shut the door behind Nathan. He walked into the family room trying to control his sobs. He plopped down on the couch and looked into the coffee table. His eyes were blood shoot from crying. He looked at a group of pictures strategically placed on the table in front of him. He found one in particular. It was in a frame that was wooden with words etched around it. 'Friends, Sisters, Family, Babies,' were some of the things that Lucas could pick out. He looked at the picture in the frame. It was taken on the beach only 2 months ago. It was Payton, Brooke, Ashley, and Haley. They were all in bikinis showing off their bellies, and Payton was sticking her stomach out trying to fit in. Lucas started to cry again. "How am I going to tell Brooke?" he asked himself as he made his way upstairs to his room. He couldn't find Brooke and began to panic, until he heard her talking to Sydni over the baby monitor.
"Hey little one. You're mommy's princess. You're being such a good girl with Sophia here. Her mommy's gone but she's going to be back, I know it. Mommy's never going to leave you, either of you."
Lucas sat on the bed and buried his head in his hands. His eyes scanned the room and he saw Sophie asleep in a mosses basket on the floor. He carefully picked her up and began to rock her back and forth as the tears fell from his face. "Your mom was a great person. She was kind, and gentle, and brave. She saved my life, in more ways than one. She was probably the best person that I know other than Brooke. She would have loved you Sophia Claire." He whispered to the little girl in his arms. Sophie opened her eyes and looked right into Lucas's. She seemed to know that he was her daddy now. Lucas almost lost it, but Brooke walked in at that very moment holding Sydni.
"Hey," She said quietly, handing Sydni to Lucas as she kissed him. Brooke stepped back and looked at the scene. "Look at them." She squealed a little loudly. Sophia started to cry. Brooke picked her up and looked at the clock. "I think she's hungry. I've got some more formula downstairs. Ash'll probably freak if I breast feed her right?"
Lucas took a deep breath. He knew that this was going to be the hardest thing that he had ever had to do in his life, and he hopped that the would never have to do it again. He stood up and walked towards Brooke and Sophie. He bent down and kissed Sophia's head and then Brooke. "Ok," he said, taking one last deep breath. "I'm sorry Brooke." he thought to himself. "Mommy's going to feed you now, cause daddy can't feed you. Daddy loves you very much." He waited for Brooke's reaction.
"Lucas did you just say Daddy?" Brooke asked, finally fully taking in what Lucas had just said. She looked at Sophia and then at Lucas. All he could do was nod his head. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he would loose it. Brooke lost it. She broke down and fell to her knees. "No, Ashley. She's gone, she's really gone. No. No. No." She cried and all Lucas could do was rub her back and cry wit her.
"I know baby, I know."
Sorry for the sadness. Only one more chapter until the sequal! i need a title though. it's going to be set about 4 monts in the future when they have to go back to school after the summer, there's going to be some suprises too, anyway, read and review! the more reviews, the happier i am!
Sara