"Lucas… Wake up" Brooke whispered tapping Lucas hard on the shoulder. She couldn't sleep… her head was hurting and the baby was kicking. The fact that Lucas was getting to sleep was driving her crazy!

"Brooke… its 3AM"

"I see that… but if your son is going to keep me up all night playing soccer with my internal organs… you're staying up too"

"But" Lucas started but he knew he had already lost this one…there was no way she was going to let him sleep. She hadn't the past 3 nights.

"Hey! No buts… what happened to being at my beck and call huh?"

"I'm here…"

"I'm cold" Brooke whined. That was all she could think to say… she had Lucas had talked about almost everything over the past couple nights.

"Come here…" Lucas whispered wrapping his arms around her. He could feel his eye lids starting to drop, and was hoping laying here like this would help Brooke sleep too.

"Hey! I have an idea!"

"What?"

"Lets go play in the snow!" Brooke shrieked sitting up. That was perfect! She could run around and get all her energy out, and then come into the nice warm house and sleep!

"Brooke… have I mentioned its 3 in the morning?"

"Yes…"

"And that your pregnant?" Lucas asked shaking his head trying to keep himself awake long enough to try and talk her out of this. It had to be like 10 degrees outside and here she was wanting to go outside, pregnant at 3 in the morning and do god only knew what. Last time they had 'played' in the snow… It hadn't been your usual definition of 'play'. He was sure he remembered loosing his boxers some point during that time.

"Really? Is that it? Because I didn't know what the hell was going on inside my stomach… Luke… so what? Pregnant people can play in the snow… the baby wants to play in the snow…"

"Its like 10 degrees outside"

"We'll dress really warm…" Brooke whispered kissing his forehead. She wasn't going to give in… it was the snow! This might be the last time they got to do this before having to deal with 3 kids, school and Lucas's work.

"We have to get up early to get ready for the caterers…"

"So? Luke… come on… just for a few minutes! We haven't gotten to play in the snow yet… just the 2 of us, like we used too"

"Some pregnant women have weird food cravings… you crave the snow…"

"Please?" Brooke asked trying to seem pitiful, but it was hard. She was way too giggly.

"Come on… but lets be back in here by 4"

Brooke sprung out of bed and threw on her coat, boots and gloves. She was ½ way down the stairs by the time Lucas even rolled out of bed. He was trying hard to keep his eyes open… and to figure out why Brooke always had so much extra energy when she was pregnant. Peyton took at least 2 naps a day… everyday and was like a Zombie most of the time. Then again with the holidays and all she did seem kind of depressed. Brooke had tried to talk her into seeing someone… just to help get her through but all she wanted to do was sit around and draw… so he and Brooke decided to let her. Once he had on his gloves, boots and coat me met Brooke downstairs by the front door. It was pitch black outside all except for a little slice of the moon. They stepped outside into the overwhelming cold and Lucas remembered why he hated winter so much.

"Broody… come on…" Brooke whisper yelled from the doorway and then ran out leaving him standing there with one glove on.

"It's freezing"

"Don't make me tackle you Scott"

"Tackle me?" Lucas asked laughing. She really was crazy… then again that was why he had married her.

"Well… try and tackle you… come here…"

"What are you doing?"

"We're going to have a snowball war" Brooke giggled hitting Lucas in the chest with her snowball. Most girls like Haley who Lucas had had plenty of snowball fights with threw pitiful snowballs… that always fell apart before they got to him. But not Brooke… she had a snowball that could kill.

"Brooke…"

"Lucas… don't whine…" Brooke grinned pelting him with another snowball.

"Ow… you're so going down"

"Never! I am the snowball champion of the world… well of Tree Hill at least…"

"I think I can take you" Lucas smiled grabbing her around the waste and kissing her. As soon as she started to kiss back, he dropped his snowball down her coat.

"Never! Ah! That's cold!"

"I told you"

"You're sooo going down!" Brooke shrieked running for cover.

After pelting each other with snowballs for about 20 minutes (Lucas being VERY careful not to hit her hard or anywhere near her stomach) Brooke pulled Lucas over to the hammock and grabbed the blankets from the bin.

"That was fun" Brooke smiled cuddling up next to Lucas in the hammock.

"Aren't you tired?"

"Now I'm kinda wired…"

"Me too…what now?" Lucas asked. He was really hoping she would say she wanted to go inside. It was getting colder and colder by the second it felt like.

"We could go in the kitchen and drink hot chocolate and eat all that fudge your mom brought over before Peyton gets her hands on it"

"I'm kind of worried about her"

"Me too… I've tried to talk to her, I don't think it's even hit her that in about 10 weeks she is going to have a baby… she doesn't have a job or money or anything to her name…" Brooke sighed. All she could think about when she thought about Peyton was how she had felt in high school when she and Lucas had had their pregnancy scare. And from the look in Lucas's eyes she could tell he was probably thinking the same thing.

"Brooke, I did something that is probably going to really piss her off"

"What did he say?"

"What?" Lucas asked surprised that Brooke knew what he was talking about.

"You called Jake didn't you?"

"Yea… how'd you?"

"Because I know you, and you always try and do the right thing… and he called back while you were at the store… what did he say?" Brooke asked again.

"He was shocked at first… kind of upset, and then he started thinking of Jenny and how Peyton hadn't cared whose baby she was, she had just always been there for her… so he's coming over tomorrow with Jenny to talk to Peyton, maybe get her to go back to Tree Hill with him"

"Do you think she'll go?"

"And leave the Peyton Sawyer pity party? Probably not… but at least she'll know that he's there if and when she needs him" Lucas sighed pulling Brooke closer. All of this Peyton baby drama had made Lucas think. Think about what could have been… what if he had somehow ended up with Peyton, how if he had how miserable he would be without Brooke… how it could be Brooke stuck in that situation, even though he knew Brooke well enough that she wouldn't ever be relying on other people for help. Unlike Peyton she would be doing it all on her own.

"You know she really doesn't want this baby Luke… I mean like seriously doesn't."

"I know… It's kind of funny…. My mom would give a kidney for a baby as"

"Wait" Brooke whispered interrupting Lucas as usual.

"What?"

"Lucas! You're brilliant!"

"What?" Lucas asked. He wished that right now was one of those times where he could read her mind and know exactly what she was getting at.

"Your mom wants a baby so bad… and Peyton doesn't want hers… Maybe Peyton could let Karen and Andy adopt her baby… that way she could know it was ok… and still have contact but she could also give it a life and a family! Don't you ever watch Lifetime movies?"

"Brooke… I don't know"

"Its better than her giving it to some stranger isn't it?" Brooke asked. She felt pretty proud of herself for thinking of this.

"I guess… but don't you think it would be kind of hard for her to see it all the time?"

"Maybe… I'm just saying… if worst comes to worst"

"You've got a point" Lucas sighed. It was just all so complicated.

"Alright… I hate to tell ya Luke but this kid is so not a basketball player… I see serious soccer in his future…" Brooke laughed putting Lucas's hand on her stomach where the baby was kicking.

"We'll see about that…who all is coming tomorrow?"

"Your mom, Andy, Brandon, Jake, Jenny, Haley, Nathan, James, Mouth, Erica, Tucker, and probably 200 other people I don't know about… it's a Christmas party…"

Lucas and Brooke's alarm went off at 6:30. Just an hour after they had finally gone to bed. Of course Brooke was up as soon as it went off, with her newfound energy and all… off to the girls bedroom to get them up and ready. Leaving Lucas still asleep. She was starting to feel guilty about keeping him up all night… he was going to be drained all day, and having to deal with caterers and everyone was just going to put him in a bad mood. But he could always sleep while she took the girls to get his present. It wasn't anything big or flashy… but it was the reason they were together in the first place and she knew that he'd like it. When Brooke walked into the girls bedroom Chloë was already on the floor and Allie was ½ way out of the crib. It killed her that her babies were now toddlers who could do for themselves on certain things.

"Morning babies" Brooke whispered helping Allie down off the crib.

"Mommy!"

"Look!" Allie pointed showing Brooke how they had gotten out of their cribs.

"I see… climbing out of your cribs! What am I going to do with you 2?"

"Big beds!"

"You want big beds? You know if we get you big beds there are going to be tears all around… why don't we keep your cribs until… I don't know, until you're like 5" Brooke laughed pulling the girls into the rocking chair with her so they could talk. She hoped if she started it now, having semi important conversations with them that when they got older they'd still talk to her.

"Nowa"

"No? I'll talk to daddy when he wakes up! Until then… we have to get you guys ready! Then we have to tell the caterers what to do and then! We have to go get daddy's present! Lets go downstairs and eat some fudge so we have energy"

"Carrys me?" Allie whined cuddling next to Brooke.

"Me too!"

"I cant carry you both anymore… see! My tummy is getting too big, your brother is hogging all the room!"

"My tummy big too" Chloë giggled showing Brooke her tiny stomach

"Your tummy isn't big…" Brooke laughed tickling her.

"Me too"

"Your tummy isn't big either… I think you 2 just want me to tickle you"

Peyton listened from the door as Brooke tickled and played with the girls. Here it was 6:30 in the morning and she was so cheery… it made Peyton want to puke. This whole house was like some twisted after school special with a lot of sex and drama… but in the end there was always some kind of moral. Never had she imagined Brooke Davis… Anti- everything that had to do with family… a mother who cared so much about her kids. It wasn't the forced love you sometimes saw… like with Brooke's parents who of course loved her, just didn't like her. Brooke actually liked being with her kids, showing them off to everyone… of course Peyton had to admit, they were beautiful. Brooke's long auburn brown hair and brown eyes, and Lucas's smile. They were the future Brooke Davis's of the world. It made Peyton wonder what her baby would be… tortured, one parent, bad history… apples and tree's was all that came to mind. Just as she could feel the tears form behind her eyes Lucas walked up behind her and forced her to hold them back.

"Hey… you look like hell" Peyton laughed trying to keep the tears from starting.

"Playing in the snow all night can do that to you I guess, where's Brooke?"

"In there… being Brooke"

"Right… hey, does she look ok to you?" Lucas whispered pulling Peyton away from the door.

"What do you mean?"

"She looks a little pale"

"Lucas… she's pregnant, in school, has twin 2 year olds, and she's married to you" Peyton laughed. Guys were so clueless… to them girls were supposed to look great all the time… even under the highest amount of stress.

"Good point… I guess I just worry about her you know? After last time… everything worries me"

"Lucas, she's Brooke… when has she ever not told you something? She's the queen of too much information. If something were wrong… you'd know, I'm going to go take a shower… stop worrying"

"Thanks Peyton… there are my 3 favorite girls" Lucas said leaving Peyton to shower and joining Brooke and the girls in the bedroom.

"Daddy!"

"What are you guys doing?"

"Trying to figure out the best place to start our whore house… make billions and then retire to Tahiti" Brooke sighed making room for Lucas in the chair with her and the girls.

"I could go for that"

"Lwook!" Allie shrieked running over to her crib to demonstrate how she could get in and out of her crib.

"Yea… they can climb out of their cribs"

"No… not my little baby girls… come here. You guys aren't supposed to get older, stay babies…" Lucas whispered pulling both his girls into his lap.

"Before you know it they'll be dating"

"Don't remind me…"

"Presets?" Chloë ask pre-occupied with getting downstairs to the gifts under the tree.

"Not until tomorrow! Then you can open lots and lots of presents!"

"Speaking of… I have to run and get… something… I'll be back"

"Hey! Lucas… does this have something to do with my present?" Brooke asked squinting at him.

"What? No… I didn't get you anything" Lucas smiled giving her a quick kiss, then handing the girls back to her.

"Uh huh… ok well you have fun on you're little whatever. The girls and I are going to work on our little whatever…"

"Uh huh… I'll be back, girls be good for mommy"

After getting the girls dressed and instructing the caterers what to cook Brooke waited for Haley so they could go pick up Lucas's present. The more she thought about it them more it was a present for Peyton too. Hopefully it could help both Lucas and Peyton get over their stress and just enjoy the holidays. Brooke waited on the couch for Haley while the girls talked mindlessly to her stomach. Explaining as well as they could to stop hogging their mommy's tummy and to come out already. Once this baby was born the poor thing was never going to be able to get a word in with Allie and Chloë around. Finally Haley showed up 20 minutes late with James and a bag full of presents.

"Hi friend" Brooke laughed as Haley walked in flustered rolling her eyes at Brooke. She looked worse than Lucas had this morning…

"Don't even… this was not a good morning…"

"What happened?"

"Nathan's son decided it would be fun to pee all over my kitchen…" Haley said with her teeth clenched. James had struck again… Brooke couldn't help but laugh… the things that kid did sometimes were classic. They didn't come more hyper active then James Scott.

"Nathan's son huh? James! Come see Aunt Brooke! Did you do that?"

"Yea"

"At least he's honest" Brooke laughed handing James a piece of fudge while Haley wasn't looking. She loved being the fun aunt who let James do whatever he wanted while he was there.

"You're as bad as Nathan! James…don't touch that… honey no… no! When are you going to learn what no means? "

"Wow… Haley… chill… come here James… You wanna feel the baby kick?"

"How you are having another one is beyond me… I can't even handle the one I have…" Haley laughed pulling James away from the DVD player.

"That's because James is all Nathan… aren't ya dude? Allie and Chloë are all me so I can relate to them…"

"Well let's hope my next one is a girl… that is if there is a next one. I always said I wanted a big family but I don't know how my parents did it. At least you get the joy of having a boy this time, you can feel my pain."

"Oh yes… but you see I married the sweet shy Scott brother. Karen said he was so well behaved as a kid… and as a baby he never cried…" Brooke smiled. How she loved it… her children were so well behaved. Except for the occasional temper tantrum Allie and Chloë really didn't give her that much trouble. As long as their hair was brushed, they were wearing a dress and they had their finger nails painted they were content.

"Damn it… I knew I should have pulled a Joey/Dawson with Lucas! Lets just go do this, come on James… James! No! Stay out of the fudge… Brooke"

"What? That's what we ate for breakfast, Lucas Jr. here wanted chocolate"

"I don't even want to image what his terrible 2's will be like" Haley whined wiping the chocolate off of James's face.

"Think of it like this… he could be Chris Keller's child…"

"You're so right… so I should be happy he's all Nathan, because if I had married Chris… wow ok"

Before heading to get Brooke's present Lucas met Karen and Andy to pick up Brandon. He hadn't gotten to spend much time with him lately since he had been so busy with the girls and Brooke. He had been trying to get Brandon out of Karen's wrath as much as he could. The woman was crazy… stressed, emotional… trying to get that one last baby was slowly tearing her apart, and Lucas could tell Brandon was definitely feeling the stress. With Andy always working… trying to ensure his kids had EVERYTHING, and Karen always working to avoid dealing with her feelings… that left little time for them to just be with Brandon.

"So where are Allie and Chloë?" Brandon asked once he and Lucas were on the road. Karen hadn't let him get a word in the whole time she was talking to Lucas.

"With Brooke… I figured it could just me us guys today, since the past couple times Allie and Chloë have come. They'll be excited to see you tonight though"

"Yea… so is Brooke fat yet?"

"She's getting there… don't tell her I told you, she might smother me in my sleep" Lucas laughed.

"Are Chloë and Allie excited?"

"I don't think they understand what's going on… they keep referring to the baby as a 'fishy in mommy's tummy'"

"Last week when you took Allie and Chloë to the park Brooke came and got me and took me shopping for baby clothes. She said she needed my opinion so she didn't buy anything too gay" Brandon smiled. Lucas could tell by the way Brandon talked about Brooke he was totally crushed out on her. It was cute… and after all he couldn't blame him. Who wouldn't be? She was Brooke, then there was the fact that Brooke took him shopping at least once a week… just to get him away from Karen. And when she did she totally spoiled him… which pissed Karen off to no end.

"You didn't tell mom you knew the word gay did you?"

"No…"

"Ok good" Lucas laughed. He and Brooke were such bad influences on poor Brandon. He had always said that when he had kids (Or a little brother) he wouldn't cuss or talk about things they shouldn't know… and yet somehow once Allie and Chloë were born all of that had gone completely out the door, if anything he and Brooke talked about whore houses and sex more now than they used too.

"She said I was her favorite brother in law and she took me to get ice cream. She said she never had a little brother so it was fun to hang out with me. And she taught me how to give the finger and showed me how to spike me hair like you! Mom wouldn't let me do it today though. I wish mom were more like Brooke"

"Mom's having a hard time right now… but she loves you ya know…and you know you can come hang with Brooke and I whenever you want…"

"I know… so where are we going" Brandon asked changing the subject from Karen.

"To get Brooke's Christmas present…"

"What did you get her?"

"Last week she told me she wanted me to build the girls a playhouse with a red door…" Lucas smiled. He was feeling pretty proud of himself. This present was the present to end all others

"So you did?"

"Not really… when it comes to cars I can fix anything… building things isn't really my specialty…and since we have to move back to Tree Hill for the summer… We do need a house"

"So?" Brandon asked utterly confused

"Don't you dare tell mom this, but I tracked down the people who live in Brooke's old house… the one with the red door. And paid an un-godly amount of money to buy it from them"

"Wow…"

"Love can make you do crazy things… anyway now we just have to go pick up the pictures so I'll have something to show her and let her open"

Brooke and Haley waited at the gate for the plane with Allie, Chloë and James. Allie and Chloë sat patiently in Brooke's lap playing with her stomach while James screamed bloody murder whenever a place came in. The poor kid was terrified of planes and was not going to make anything easy on Haley.

"9 babies!" Allie shrieked giggling

"What?"

"See"

"You're funny Allie… try 1 baby" Brooke laughed tickling Allie who was still giggling.

"10 babies"

"Chloë… you're killing mommy here… 1 baby"

"I think Allie and Chloë are right… I estimate you and Lucas will have about 10 children" Haley sighed rolling her eyes at Brooke. Haley had seemed irritated at her all day and Brooke couldn't figure out why.

"Ha… you're funny Haley. No… no more… not until I am AT LEAST in my 30's. Even then I think 3 is enough…I'm not even supposed to be having this one"

"I didn't think you were ever going to say anything…"

"I take it you talked to Erica" Brooke whispered. That explained a lot… why Haley had been so short with her all day.

"Some… she wouldn't say much, I'm just supposed to be keeping an eye on you. You could have said something Brooke"

"I did… I made it clear I didn't want to have a baby"

"That you didn't WANT to… not that you shouldn't." Haley insisted. She seemed really mad and upset and Brooke could understand why… but this really wasn't any of her business.

"Haley… it would have killed Lucas not to have this baby, you know that… we both do. And if I tell him and something does happen… he's going to blame himself, insisting he made me do it, and that wont be good for anyone. Besides Erica said it would go away as soon as I have the baby…"

"What will... she didn't say why… she just said to watch you"

"Gestational diabetes… A lot of people get it Haley"

"Just not as bad as you, how are you hiding the needle marks from Lucas" Haley asked a little calmer this time. She knew Brooke was right about Lucas so she didn't argue.

"3 shots a day in the top of my legs… thank god its winter… jeans"

"Brooke"

"Haley… its not a big deal ok? We both know Lucas would flip out if he knew…" Brooke sighed not looking her in the eyes. She was starting to feel sick. She hadn't talked about this with anyone yet… not even really Erica.

"How has he not found out yet?"

"My doctors appointments lately have mysteriously been while he had to work?"

"And he doesn't look at the bills?" Haley asked quietly sitting down next to Brooke and the girls

"Good thing about having plenty of money… he just writes the check"

"Do you know how pissed he is going to be if you don't tell him?"

"Yea… but hopefully I wont have too. Haley… the stress right now is really getting to him. This might put him over the edge" Brooke sighed and then smiled at Allie and Chloë who were still playing with her stomach

"What's the worst that could happen with you and the baby?"

"Worst case?"

"Yea" Haley said with out a pause

"If the shots for some reason stopped working. There's always the pump, bed rest, limited diet… but its ok as long as my blood pressure stays normal"

"Is it?"

"Mostly…" Brooke decided not to lie. If Haley was going to know she might as well know everything

"Brooke…"

"Haley… if I were worried, I'd tell him but I'm not… ok? I love Lucas, and I know him. He's going to want to do what's best for me, and that means having the baby early. I wont go through that again Haley… I decided to keep the baby and now he is going to stay in there until I know he will be ok. I wont risk his life just because I am selfish and don't like the damn shots… ok? And I promise if anything happens I'll tell Lucas but please Haley, don't say anything to him. We've both come to love this baby and I don't want to risk loosing him… ok?" Brooke asked pleading with Haley to stay quiet.

"Ok…" Haley whispered nodding in agreement.

"Thanks"

"Look… there she is"

"Anna!"