"So…we're ok with the whole Peyton thing?" Brooke asked.

"Of course- you know you're the one I love"

"Yeah" Brooke smiled. "Ok…enough drama- lets do something fun"

"Like your hot tub?"

"You read my mind, Broody" Brooke said, giggling. Lucas pulled her into a passionate kiss. "Ok…maybe we can stay in" she said, giggling mischievously.

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"Wait- I like that color better" Haley whined.

"Pink and purple? What if it's a boy?" Nathan asked.

"It's a girl"

"You don't know that for sure!"

"I have a feeling"

"Ah…a Haley feeling"

"Exactly" Haley giggled. Nathan laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so excited, Hales" Nathan whispered into her hair. "I can't wait"

"I know…we're practically starting a family"

"We ARE starting a family" Nathan said. "And I'm gonna do everything I can to provide a stable environment for this baby…because he/she deserves it"

"Nathan…I love you" Haley smiled. "I couldn't imagine being with anyone else"

"Not even Chris?" Nathan asked.

"Nathan! Never…I love you- that was just me being stupid"

"Haley…you were pursuing your dreams, which I should never have stopped you from doing because you never stopped me"

"It's all in the past though, right…now we can look in the future- with the baby" Haley smiled at the thought. Nathan laughed and kissed Haley and they stood there, each lost in their own thoughts.

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"Wait, what? You're pregnant?" Jake asked, his mouth hanging open.

"Yeah…Jake, its not yours…the time span's way too long…ok I got drunk and slept with this guy, and-"

"You ended up pregnant" Jake finished. "Just great Nikki…another child who'll end up messed up because of you- can't you ever think of anyone other than you?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do Jake, if you would halt the insult train! I know you hate me, and I know you hate the fact that I had your baby and all that stuff, but we did have a child together- not voluntarily, but accidentally, and I'm gonna ask you from the goodness of your heart if you could pretend this baby was yours and raise it"

Over at where Peyton was…

"Nathan…can you watch Jenny while I go find out where exactly Jake is?" Peyton asked angrily. Jake had been gone for 3 hours and now she was just plain worried.

"Sure" Nathan said, taking Jenny from Peyton and tickling her.

Peyton got in her car and started driving furiously towards the Rivercourt- she couldn't believe Jake!

At the court…

"I can't do that, Nikki, and you know it!" Jake said. "You shouldn't even have the courage to ask me something like that"

"Jake…I need your help"

"Ok, what about when I need your help with Jenny? You never proved yourself as a worthy person and now I cant help you" Jake said.

"Jake…I'm sorry, I am! I love Jenny, and I'll love this baby, I just can't raise it"

"Why not? I thought you had a steady job with the photography company"

"I lied…I don't…I was fired last week"

"Nikki…" Jake sighed. "I have to go, I've been gone forever"

"What…ok Jake just hear me out, ok?"

"What?"

"I went to the doctor's because I collapsed, and this girl was nice enough to take me, and I went to the emergency room, and I found out that I was pregnant, and the doctor said he suspected something else was wrong…and you know I have a smoking problem, right…so I went to another doctor and I have lung cancer, and its really bad…and I only have another year or so to live and they said that I could either put the baby up for adoption or leave it to an entrusted person…" Nikki was sobbing by now, and Jake couldn't bear to see her cry like that- he didn't think he had ever seen real tears fall from the brunette's eyes.

"Nikki…are you serious? You have cancer?"

"Yeah…and that's why I wanted to see Jenny for a little while…before I you know…leave. And I don't know what sort of birth defects this baby's gonna be born with or whether it'll be born alive at all…but yeah"

"I still can't take the baby, Nikki- I'm barely making it with Jenny…and what will Peyton say? I can't do that to her"

"I just want my baby to be safe" Nikki sobbed. Jake instinctively put his arms around her but regretted it immediately when he caught golden curls out of the corner of his eye.

"Peyton!" Jake said.

"Jake Jageilski, consider us over" Peyton spat when she saw the brunette Jake was hugging. "Forever"

"Peyton! Listen to me- PEYTON!"

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"So Broody pants" Brooke giggled, redressing. "That was fun"

"Oh that was" Lucas whispered in an amused tone, pulling Brooke on top of him and kissing her. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Yes" Brooke said softly, looking at him.

"And your eyes look so beautiful right now" Lucas said.

"Just my eyes?" Brooke giggled.

"No…you look beautiful too" Lucas said. "You always do"

"Aw…that is so sweet, Lucas" Brooke said.

"Well…I'm sweet when I'm in love"

"Lucas…" Brooke whispered softly, touching her forehead to his. "I am so glad we're back together"

"I know…that summer without you was unbearable…I missed you so much"

"You called me like everyday, Luke" Brooke giggled. "My mom was beginning to think that we were going back out"

"Yeah…I was a bit of a stalker, wasn't I?"

"Yeah…but I'm not gonna pretend like I didn't enjoy it" Brooke giggled. "I loved hearing from you…Peyton called me like twice"

"Well…now you know who REALLY loves you" Lucas laughed.

"Broody!" Brooke said, smacking him.

"Sorry…" Lucas pouted when Brooke got off of him and slipped her feet in her shoes. "Where are you going?"

"Out! It's beautiful outside!"

"Brooke, sweetheart, its pouring"

"Come on, Lucas, have you never played in the rain?"

"Not that I last remember…" Lucas laughed.

"Well then you're missing out! When I was little, my nurse Imelda used to take me out and we'd play in the rain…then she got fired because she was letting me have too much fun"

"Did your parents seriously say that?"

"Seriously" Brooke shook her head. "But that's besides the point! Come on, lets go!"

"The things I do for you, Brooke Davis" Lucas laughed, following Brooke outside.

Lucas watched Brooke as her whole attitude transformed- the bitchy Brooke Davis seemed like a ghost of years past. The rain did something to her, almost freed her, causing her around to dance around in the rain, ignoring the fact that her Jimmy Choo heels were being destroyed and all her makeup was running down her face. A twinkle was apparent in her eyes, even from Brooke's doorstep to where she was standing about 10 yards away, Lucas could see the happiness in her eyes. To him, dancing in the rain, soaking wet with all her black mascara in twisting trails down her face, Brooke looked more beautiful to him than any other time. He ran out to her, shielding his face from the rain, and grabbed her waist. Turning her around, he pulled her into a passionate kiss of sorts that he didn't know he was capable of.

They stood there for what seemed like years, the raining falling around them, wrapped in each other's arms, lost in each others eyes… because only Brooke and Lucas possessed the passion to be lost in each other like that- it was the truest sign of being in love.

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Peyton wiped rapidly falling tears from her eyes as she drove fast to Brooke's house. She was about to stop by her house but saw Brooke and Lucas kissing in the rain. Typical Brooke and Lucas, she thought, driving past, not wanting to interrupt their love fest. Lucas was so obviously head in heels in love with Brooke, it was kind of sickening. Sickening in a way because she thought that's how Jake felt about her. She felt dizziness overcome her and nausea from what she had seen Jake do. She struggled to keep the car in line, but was having a really bad time with it. The rain pounded harder and Peyton's vision blurred further. The car was almost completely out of control but this time Peyton didn't try to control it.

"I love you, Jake…and Dad, and Brooke, and Lucas and Nathan and Haley…and Jenny…and mom" Peyton whispered, before releasing the steering wheel and letting the car curve into a big oak tree at 80 miles per hour.

A/N: Yeah...didn't see it coming, huh? Review and find out what happened to Peyton!