1 Month Later

"Hey friend and mini friend" Brooke pushed her brown hair behind her ears and leaned down and kissed Peyton's stomach. She stood and looked into her best friend's eyes, they were filled with their usual grief and sorrow instead of the glow they had possessed for the last few months. Brooke pulled the blonde into a tight hug as they stood in the center of the baby's room.

"Thank you, I needed that" Peyton said softly when Brooke released her.

"I've missed you. You've been cooped up in this house for the past 3 days." Brooke looked at Peyton and felt as though she wanted to cry. Peyton had been so happy since she got pregnant and now one person was making her miserable.

"I know…it's just that I don't really want to go outside. I guess I'm just a little worried still." The blonde looked down at the floor as she spoke.

"Peyt he can't come near you and if he does he'll get arrested." Brooke tried to reassure her. The day after they had gone out to dinner Lucas went and got a restraining order against Rick. But, she would still see him sometimes because they couldn't stop him form going into public places and even though they all knew that he was watching her, they couldn't prove it. Peyton had refused to leave the house for the last couple of days because he always seemed to show up wherever she went.

"Brooke I know that but it's just hard."

"Well you're coming to the café today. Everyone is there and Lucas is gunna meet us there after work. Nathan is sitting by the door so that he can make sure Rick doesn't go in. You're already dressed, so get up and let's go." Brooke said in a determined voice. Peyton looked at her and then back at the floor before her eyes darted back to Brooke. The blonde got ready to leave when Brooke place a light hand on her shoulder.

"I almost forgot something. I brought a gift for little one." Brooke opened her bag and pulled out a medium sized book. Peyton smiled when she saw the cover that read "…And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street''.

"I remember when we used to read that everyday." Peyton said as she took the book from the brunette. She flipped through the old and slightly torn pages.

"I found it with my old stuff. I thought it'd be a nice thing to pass down." Brooke was happy to see Peyton smiling even if it didn't last too long. Peyton walked over to the bookshelf and place the book on the end. She ran her hand over all the books that had been given to her over the last month. She turned to her best friend and smiled.

"Let's go" She took the brunette's arm in hers and the two girls headed down stairs and to the café to meet everyone.

"Well hello, long time know see." Haley teased as Peyton and Brooke entered the café. Peyton smiled even though she was nervous. She walked around and hugged everyone. Being around them somehow made her feel better, the only person missing was Lucas but she knew that he would be there soon.

The last person the blonde hugged was Karen. When she went to pull away Karen quickly grabbed her shoulder's preventing her from moving. The older woman placed her hand on Peyton's stomach and a few seconds later a wide grin appeared on her face.

"They kicked" Karen said as she let Peyton. "You've got a strong one in there Peyton." The blonde laughed as she nodded her head in agreement. They baby was constantly kicking and she could always feel it. "Go sit down, I'll bring you some lunch" Karen waved Peyton over to the rest of the teens and headed into the kitchen.

"Come over you. I wanna feel my nephew kick." Nathan said before Peyton could sit down. She laughed because every time Nathan tired to catch the baby kick he always just missed it. He was the only one who hadn't felt it yet and he would always hover of Peyton's stomach trying to coax the baby into kicking. Peyton made her way over to Nathan and he eagerly placed a hand on her stomach. "Ohh come on" he whined when nothing happened.

"It's probably a girl and she won't kick because you keep calling her your nephew." Haley commented innocently causing Nathan to roll his eyes.

"Fine. I wanna feel my niece kick." He placed his hand back on Peyton's stomach and waited. Before long his eyes lit up as he felt the sharp nudge against the palm of his hand. The entire group broke out laughing at the incident. "Your daddy's gunna have his hands fun if you grow up looking like your mommy. He's gunna be chasing all the boys away with a shovel." Nathan joked.

"No I'll be after them with a rake." Lucas said as he came up behind Peyton. She laughed as the rest of table looked on slightly confused. "Long story, just put it this way, her dad calls me 'rake boy' now."

"The story's not long. He came to my house and thought my dad was a burglar or something 'cause my front door was open. Well he took the rake from the side of the door and went into the kitchen holding the thing like a bat and he asked my dad what he who is was. When I came downstairs my dad told me the Lucas was trying to rake him to death." Peyton laughed as she told the story and soon the rest of the group joined her.

"Yeah yeah yeah…the story is very funny." Lucas said as he pulled up a chair and then pulled Peyton onto his lap.

"Yes it is, but don't worry, it just makes me love you more." She kissed him lightly and then turned back to her friends. They all talked and laughed, mostly about their high school memories. That went on for about two hours, until Brooke got up and walked over to the counter.

"Karen do you have Kool-Aid or something like that." The brunette asked in a sweet tone.

"Yea, how much do you need hun?"

"A pitcher should do, a large cup of Pepsi and some small glasses." Karen went into the back and soon returned with a tray holding a pitcher of fruit punch and 6 shot glasses. "Thank you much" the brunette said as she picked up the tray and made her way back to the table. "The game is I Never and since Peyt can't have alcohol the punch is spiked with Pepsi." Brooke set the tray on the table and took her seat next to Charlie before pouring the soda into the pitcher. "Let's see…I never went skinny dipping."

"Why do I not believe that?" Peyton questioned her best friend.

"Because sex in water does not count as skinny dipping." The brunette gave a satisfied smile and waited to see if anyone had to drink. Nathan filled up two glasses and took one for himself and then handed the other to Peyton.

"Cheers" he said as the two hit their glasses together and then took a drink.

"I never cheated on a test." Peyton said. "Sorry guys but I was trying to think of something that wasn't sex related but that's not gunna work anymore." They all laughed. They all filled their glasses except for Peyton and Charlie.

"Tutor girl cheated on a test" Brooke said in shook. "Haley I don't believe you"

"I did but it was only once. It was the last test before the final and I had so busy tutoring everyone that I completely forgot about the test so I wrote answers on my hand and yeah." Haley bit her bottom lip and the rest of the group laughed.

"Haley's a bad girl" Peyton teased. Haley glared at her.

"Fine! I've never done more than one sibling." Haley poured out a drink and handed it to the blonde.

"Yes I have" Peyton tossed back the drink and looked around the group. "But I never got off on anything other then a person…a real person."

"So are you saying that the girls in porn aren't real?" Charlie questioned as he prepared to pour himself a drink.

"They're not and neither are the girls in magazines or on computers…it's all porn and all fake." Haley stated as she poured Nathan a drink, recalling the time she looked through his computer. All three guys took a shot while the girls shook their heads in disgust.

"I never lied about the father of my kid." They all looked up as Rick set a drink down in front of Peyton. "Most babies don't kick at 5 months Peyton, are you sure you're timing not a little off." Peyton knew he was wrong but that didn't stop her form feeling sick. They all watched as Rick walked backwards towards the door and right into the arms of a policeman. Karen had seen him enter the café and called the cops. She was glad that he watched them at first because it gave the police time to get to the café. Peyton let out a sigh of relief as she the police drive off with Rick in the back of the car.

Even though he was gone Peyton didn't want to sit there anymore. She got up and quickly made her way to the back of the café. Lucas looked at her back until it disappeared around the corner. Karen stared at her son's heart broken face and gave a small smile to try and reassure him that things would be fine. "Ill be back" Lucas told his friends quietly as he got up and followed Peyton.

"Peyt…" he called as he entered the back room. He looked around but he didn't see her. "Peyton…" he called again and he waited for an answer. "Peyton if you don't wanna talk that's fine but at least let me know you're okay. Please." He waited for an answer. He knew what was bothering her and it was bothering him too. He didn't know what Rick meant when he made his 'I never' comment.

"I know he's wrong but I can't help but wonder." Lucas was torn from his thoughts when her voice rang through his head. He looked around until he finally saw her hazel eyes glowing form across the room. He made his way over to the counter she was sitting on and looked into her glistening eyes. She had her legs on the counter, her knees drawn up to her chest as far as she could get them and her chin resting in the groove of her arms. Lucas pulled her legs down, letting her arms fall from their place on her knees. He spread her legs and stood between them before lifting her chin with his finger and kissing her lips gently.

"There's nothing to worry about. Peyton the doctor told you when you were a month pregnant and I was there with you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to the edge of the counter, until her stomach was pressed against his.

"I know that but what if the doctor was wrong or something. I know it can happen because tests and things aren't always right." Her voice was quiet and he could hear her uncertainty. Lucas could feel his heart break when he felt the moisture drop onto his arm.

"Okay let's do this without science. You broke up with him about 2 months before we slept together. So that would mean you would have been 2 months pregnant then. Now it's been almost 7 months since we slept together and that would mean that you're at least 9 months pregnant and unless the ultra sounds pictures are from someone else's stomach the baby doesn't have fully developed fingers yet. Now I'm no genius on the matter but I think if you were due this month the baby would have fingers. Unless of coarse the baby is deformed and in that case he's gunna have a really hard time when he tries to use a pencil or basket ball or any think for that matter." Peyton hit his shoulder playfully.

"Our child is not deformed." She said between sobs. Lucas laughed and then kissed her again.

"Well that's good to know." He said as he broke the kiss.

"I know that he was just trying to get to me but the truth is he did. Luke he's been getting to me for the past month. I'm looking around the corner again, and I can't get to sleep at night. I have to make myself stand still if someone other then you touches me. I mean Nathan had his hand on my stomach today so that he could feel the baby kick and when nothing happened he sounded so aggravated and even though I know he was just messing around it made me nervous. Every little thing puts me on high alert and I can't stop it and that scares me Luke. It really scares me." The tears were flowing freely from her eyes again as she waited for him to respond.

Lucas pulled Peyton from off the counter and took her into his arms as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I'm so sorry Peyton. I should have stayed with you; I should have known this was bothering you." He said into her golden curls. "Peyton, why didn't you say anything to me? You could have come to me and talked about it. That's a part of us being together, being able to come to each other if we need help or if we just need to talk."

"I know that, but I thought it would go away and it didn't." She buried her face into his neck as she spoke.

"Peyton just promise to talk me." He held her back at arms length.

"I promise." She said quietly as she wiped the tears from under her eyes. "Lucas, can we go home now?"

"Yes we can." He said as he took her hand in his and led her back to the front room. They said their goodbye's to everyone and then headed to her house. Once they got inside Peyton ran to the bathroom to throw up. Lucas followed her into the bathroom and held her hair back while she leaned over the toilet. Afterwards she rinsed her mouth and Lucas helped her over to the couch. He cradled her body as she fell asleep, his eyes shut no too long after hers did.

Lucas woke up when he felt Peyton suddenly pull out of his arms. He grabbed her waist before she could fall off the side of the couch. He could feel how heavy her breath was ad it scared him. He could feel her sweating through her clothes and he could feel her body shaking.

"Peyton what's wrong?" he asked as he slid from behind her and kneeled in front of her. He placed his hand on her face and turned her head so that she was looking at him, but her eyes seemed to stare right past him. "Peyton" he called to her again but she didn't respond.

"Lucas I could feel it all. I could feel the pain and fright. It was like I was reliving the whole thing, every detail. I couldn't stop it, I tried but I couldn't stop it." Lucas took her into his arms and held her close to him. He rocked back and forth with her shivering body.

"Peyton I'm here, it's okay" he whispered into her hair over and over again, trying to get her to calm down. The heat was radiating from her body as she buried herself into his body. She wanted to hide from the pain but she couldn't do it. Lucas pulled her up to her feet and picked her up and then carried her outside into the cool night air. He set her down on the porch and tried to steady her body.

She pulled away from him suddenly and grasped laid a hand on her stomach. "Lucas…" She whispered into the night. "I think my water jut broke." She looked at him with frightened eyes. The only thing that went through her mind was the possibility that she was in her 9th month, the possibility that the baby wasn't Luke's. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice when Lucas picked her up and carried her to the car.

On the way to the hospital Lucas called his mom at the café and told her what was going on. He also called Brooke and told her to meet them at the hospital. He grabbed Peyton's hand; they both had the same thought running through their head. Even though they knew it wasn't true, the timing just seemed to fit.

Lucas pulled in front of the emergency entrance of the hospital within minutes, he had sped the entire way and was lucky that all the lights were green. He got out the car and went to the other side to get Peyton. She wouldn't let him carry her so he helped her walk into the hospital. "We need help, she's in labor." He said as soon as he spotted a nurse. The woman grabbed a wheel chair and they helped Peyton sit down before wheeling her into the elevator and up to the maternity ward. They took her straight into the delivery room after timing her contractions in the elevator.

"Oh my God it hurts" Peyton screamed as Lucas helped her out of the chair and into the small bed. The nurse lifted Peyton's feet onto the cold metal braces at the end of the bed after slipping her underwear off from under her skirt. The doctor came in as soon as the nurse was finished setting up. The doctor sat in front of Peyton and tired to help her control her breathing. The couple had plans to attend classes for the next two months but they weren't supposed to start for another two weeks.

The nurse pulled Lucas aside and gave him a sterile gown to put on as well as a mask. When he had everything on he returned to Peyton's side and took her shaking hand in his.

"Okay Peyton…I need you to push." The doctor told her and when she did she had to scream. She squeezed Lucas's hand to the point of cutting off circulation but he didn't care. Peyton relaxed back onto the bed, but when she did the doctor told her that she had to push again.

"According the development charts she's only in the 6th month. Is that correct sir?" The nurse asked as she looked over Peyton's charts.

"Yes" Lucas said as Peyton squeezed his hand again. Once again she relaxed back against the bed and once again the doctor told her to push again but she didn't respond. "Peyton…" Lucas looked down at her and panicked when he saw her eyes closing. "Peyton wake up" Lucas said quietly as he leaned closer to her. "Please wake up…"

The nurse rushed over and hooked Peyton up to a heart/fetal monitor after giving her and oxygen mask. Lucas looked back and forth between the monitor and the motionless the girl lying before him. "What's going on" Lucas asked as he looked up at the nurse, who had her own worried look. Lucas looked to the doctor but his heart jumped when he saw the floor. There was blood around the doctor's feet and he was trying to stop it. Lucas looked at all the machines and then back at the floor. He didn't know what was happening and part of him didn't want to know. He looked back to Peyton as her face grew increasingly pale and her grasp on his hand loosened.

"Come on Peyt…don't do this…please don't leave me." As soon as the words left his mouth her grip was gone and a steady ringing penetrated his ears. He looked up the monitor and saw that one of the lines had gone dead and one of the heart beats was at 0, but he didn't know whose. "What happened?" Lucas asked as he jumped up form his seat and let Peyton's hand drop. No one answered him as three more people rushed into the room.

"Sir I'm gunna have to ask you to leave" the nurse said as she pushed him towards the doors.

"What do you mean I have to leave? What the hell happened in there?" Lucas screamed but the nurse repeated her words and with a sad look pushed Lucas out the door.

"Lucas what's going on?" Brooke asked as she ran up to him, worry apparent on her pale face. "Why is there blood on your feet?" Her voice was shaky and unsure as she stepped back from Lucas.

"I don't know. I was in there and things were fine and then she passed out and someone flat lined. They wouldn't tell me anything." Haley and Nathan both rushed over to them after the words left Lucas mouth, both hoping they heard wrong. Haley looked into Lucas face and knew that it really happened. She wrapped her arms around him to comfort him but she knew it wasn't working.

Brooke stood in the same spot. She looked into Peyton's room in disbelief. Her best friend was lying in the adjacent room and she might be dead. The minute the thought flashed through her head her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. Nathan bent down to pick her up but he couldn't find the energy to get himself back off the floor. Since the night he had stopped Rick from hurting her they had gotten close and since her pregnancy they had become even close. Peyton was almost like a sister to him and he might lose her. He collected Brooke into his arms and he buried his face into her hair as they sat by the door, Brooke was hysterical and Nathan was on the verge of tears.

Lucas was now sitting next to his mother in one of the chair. He head tear streaming down his face but he didn't say anything or try to stop them. Haley grabbed his hand as Karen wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to her, kissing the top of his head. They sat where they were for twenty minutes before the doors to Peyton's hospital room opened and the doctor came through. The man looked at Lucas and walked over to him. Lucas couldn't read his face so he prepared himself for the worst, they all did.

Lucas sat in the chair staring out the window. He had stayed in the same position all night, and he hadn't slept either. Every time he closed his eyes images of Peyton lying lifeless on the bed flashed through his mind. The thoughts would make him cry again. Brooke, Haley, and Nathan had stayed with him all night. It was late when Nathan and Haley had fallen asleep, but Brooke stayed up with him most of the night. She had laid on the bed and cried until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she just whimpered until she fell asleep. That had been about an hour ago and now Lucas was the only one awake, he was staring out the window, feeling empty.

"Lucas…" He broke his gaze and looked over at owner of the voice. Her face was pale and sickly. She looked around the room and then back at him, her eyes asking a question he knew was coming. He shook his head and then went back to looking out the window because he didn't want to look at her, or anyone, it hurt too much.

Haley got up from the chair she was in and ran her fingers through her hair. She walked over to Lucas and kneeled down in front of him. She looked up at him and knew that nothing she said would help him, so she hugged him because it was all she could think of. She looked over at the bed and saw Brooke sleeping restlessly. The brunette had make-up running down her face and she looked worn down. Haley felt a tear slip from her eyes as she thought about all the pain and hurt she was feeling. She thought about that and then decided that she couldn't imagine what Lucas and Brooke were going through, especially not Lucas. She looked back up at her best friend. His face was pale but his eyes were a drastic red against his skin. He still had tears slowing sliding down his cheeks.

"Lucas…" He looked away from the window and towards the bed where he thought the voice came from, but he couldn't be sure because he had been hearing her voice all night. His mind was playing tricks on him, he was being tortured by imaginary voices and images and real memories.

"Lucas…" he heard the voice again but it was louder this time and he thought Haley heard it too. Lucas stood from his seat for the first time all night and made his way over to the bed. He hesitated before looking down at the clean blue sheets. He closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey" he said softly as he took the frail and trembling hand in his. He used his other hand to push back the long blonde ringlets from her face.

"What's going on" he could barley hear her when she spoke.

"Peyton what's that last thing you remember" He asked her. He watched her as she thought about the previous day.

"We came to the hospital because my water broke. We were in the room and I was holding your hand when the doctor told me to push and then I got really tired. I looked at you and…I don't know" She looked around the room at everyone. Haley was standing behind Lucas and Nathan was waking up form the chair. Brooke was lying next to her sleeping.

"You passed out last night and they couldn't get you to wake up. The doctor said that you might have amnesia for a little bit but I think your fine…for the most part anyway." Haley listened to his emotionless voice as he spoke. Lucas was afraid to get close to her. The doctor had also told him that Peyton's survival wasn't guaranteed. The doctor said that she had lost more then nearly 50% of her blood and it had caused her to nearly have a stroke but instead her heart gave out. He looked at the drip next to her bed and remembered going upstairs to give blood to her as well as his mom and Brooke. Haley and Nathan wanted to but Haley wasn't the right type and Nathan was worried about his past with drugs.

"Peyton…" Brooke said sleepily as she looked up at her best friend. She looked over at Lucas and he looked down at the floor. Peyton caught the exchange and the look that they all had on their face.

"Lucas what's going on. What are you not telling me?" the blonde had tears running down her face as she spoke. She looked around and then back at Lucas, waiting for an answer. She squeezed his hand lightly because it was all she could manage. He looked down at her pleading eyes.

"Peyton there were complications last night." His voice cracked when he neared the end of the statement. "Not to long after you stopped breathing the baby did." He let the tears pour from his eyes as he continued. "Peyton you had a miscarriage."

"What" her mouth stayed slightly open as she stared up at Lucas's tear stained face. "No…" her voice was like a breath as more tears streamed from her now red eyes. "Why" she asked quietly. She looked up at Lucas and he turned away from her. He knew what would happen if he told her, he knew she would blame herself no matter what he said. "Lucas why did it happen?" She knew he was hiding it and it made her want to know more. He looked at her and squeezed her hand. He knew that if he didn't tell her she would ask the doctor and he didn't want them to tell her.

"He said you were too stressed out. You were making yourself physically sick that's what made your water break. Last night you bled out and your body was already stressed so when that happed it just made your heart stop. Then you lost so much blood and they couldn't revive you on time and you lost the baby." He hated saying it like that but he didn't know what else to say. "He said that the baby had been losing strength for two or three weeks now and things would have been fine if you carried to term but you couldn't."

They all watched as Peyton tried to comprehend everything that Lucas had just told her. "What was it?" She asked quietly while she stared straight ahead.

"A boy." He answered sadly. Brooke lifted herself from the bed and stood across from the others. She looked down at her best friend. She recognized the voice and the look. She knew those eyes, the way Peyton was breathing. She knew that calm demeanor. She remembered it all and she knew what was about to happen.