Hey you guys… sorry for the LONG LONG wait… with the Chad and Sophia separation and all I just haven't really had much inspiration… plus work and school… I've barely even been on! Thanks for bearing with me though… I love you all! Enjoy this chapter… I will get the next one up ASAP!

"Morning babe… how do you want your eggs?" Lucas asked sitting down on the bed beside Brooke and brushing her hair out of her face to wake her up. She looked terrible… not so much fat, pregnant, swollen terrible… you couldn't really even tell from her face she was pregnant actually. But she was so pale… and her legs were so bruised from the shots he worried constantly about her. At night he'd find himself lying there awake just listening to her breathe wishing she'd just have the baby already so he rest without worrying about the both of them.

"Unfertilized! Go away…"

"If you're going to go to work, you've gotta wake up Brooke. Its 7:30"

"Ugh…" Brooke groaned wiping her eyes so she could see Lucas. He had that look… the look like he was getting ready to bribe her to stay home… and it wasn't going to work… not unless that bribe was a new car or something equally as awesome.

"But… you could always stay home and let the girls and I pamper you… you don't have to work Brooke, you could wait until after the baby's born"

"I'm up, ugh and I'm down… my cankles…"

"Cankles?" Lucas laughed laying down beside her.

"They aren't even ankles anymore… they're like cankles!"

"Brooke… please, please stay home and wait until after you have the baby"

"I cant… Luke I told you when we found out I was pregnant I was going to work until I had him, and I am… besides I'm not due for another week! And… working with Danny boy should be fun…" Brooke giggled thinking about all she could do to torture that man while she was there…

"So there's nothing I can say to you to get you to stay home?"

"Nope… sorry"

"Fine… Peyton called at 3am last night again" Lucas sighed putting his arm around Brooke. He was secretly hoping she would fall back asleep while he talked and miss work completely.

"Why?"

"She couldn't figure out how to make stop crying"

"What did you tell her?" Brooke laughed thinking of poor Peyton and Jake and a baby. That had to be a site… in high school they had done wonders with Jenny. Better than most parents who were in their 30's. But now that they were both actually old enough to have a kid they were both completely helpless.

"To leave me alone and never call that early again"

"Lucas!"

"Kidding… sorry, I told her to do what we did with the girls" Lucas sighed closing his eyes.

"3am feedings… no sleep, I'm so excited. What are you and the girls going to do today"

"Sit here and wait nervously by the phone for you to call?"

"Funny…" Brooke smiled turning to face Lucas so their foreheads touched as they talked.

"I'll probably take them out to the River court… let them meet the guys, that sort of thing"

"You can meet me for lunch… and bring me presents…"

"Or… you could stay home in the bed and…" Lucas started but Brooke interrupted before he could even finish.

"Lucas…"

"Ok… just had to give it one more try"

"I know… ok my slave, you go downstairs and cook for your fabulous wife… I'm going to get a shower and wake up our babies"

After Brooke had had her shower and finished up with all her medicine and shot she went into her old room where they were asleep in their new "big beds". Although they weren't much different that cribs… they still had 4 sides and too small for anything but 2 year olds. The girls seemed to like their new room. All of their toys were scattered from wall to wall since she and Lucas had been to busy to un-pack everything and decided it would just be easier to dump everything on the floor… since it would probably end up there anyway. But in a way it was awkward to have her girls sleep in there. They were so innocent and young… and with everything that had happened in that room… it just didn't seem right some how. There was still a small scratch on the fall near the floor where she and Lucas had been making out and knocked over a lamp when they were in high school, and the fact that she had slept with she didn't know how many guys in there… it was just kind of weird.

"Allie, Chloë! Wake up… converse with me" Brooke whined kissing the girls to wake them up. They were such little night owls that rising before 10 for them was a chore.

"Nowa"

"No? Girls! We need to chat… girl talk… don't make me tickle you… I'll do it"

"Nowa" Both girls giggled… changing from cranky to excited at the sound of being tickled.

"Yes…" Brooke laughed tickling Chloë until she squealed in laughter.

"My turn"

"Ok… but you asked for it!"

"Again!" Both girls shrieked clinging to Brooke wanting her to tickle them more. This made her want to stay home even more… work was going to be so… workish and if she stayed home she could just play with her girls all day with Lucas.

"Nope… I've gotta go to work… but you guys are going to stay here with daddy! He's going to take you to the park and lots of fun stuff"

"I come with you" Allie whined. Brooke could see the tears forming in both the girls eyes. They did this whenever she or Lucas left… they had been getting better until Lucas's basketball went on hiatus and he and Brooke had been with them 24/7. Brooke didn't know what she was going to do those last 2 weeks after she had the baby and Lucas had to go back to basketball in Charlotte until playoffs were over. Her alone with 3 kids… Lucas had offered to find a way to get out of playoffs but they both knew that wasn't possible.

"Not today… but I'll see you at lunch"

"Mommy…"

"Soon I'll be home everyday! And we can play all the time! And… we'll have your brother to play with" Brooke whispered trying to build up the girls excitement about today and the baby hoping that instead of being jealous of him they would decide to like him.

"Play today…"

"I'm sorry…I'll see you guys later… kisses!… more kisses…thank you, ok take care of daddy for me"

After Brooke left, Lucas and Allie and Chloë were trying to find ways to keep their mind off the fact that Brooke wasn't there. Lucas was worried about her, and the girls just wanted their mommy. So after getting them dressed and playing the dreaded My Little Pony's for about an hour Lucas decided it was time to get them out of the house and show them around Tree Hill. First they stopped by Whitey's to say hey and listen to Whitey talk about the good old days and basketball. Then it was off to the River walk where Lucas showed the girls where he and Brooke used to walk and talk all the time in high school. They didn't seem to care or even really know what he was talking about but he liked remembering how he and Brooke would take their late night strolls in front of the river before they were dating. He'd listen to her talk on and on about the girls he should ask out… and he really needed to stop being lonely and find someone already… when the whole time she knew he just wanted her. He knew now that if he had been smart he just would have kissed her and told her that… because the truth was she was only telling him all of that to make herself feel better. But he had been a stupid high school boy who decided telling a girl how he felt might be the end of the world. He remembered this one time after Brooke had gotten back from California they had been walking and talking about their summers and if it hadn't been for Peyton walking up they might have gotten together a lot sooner.

School had just started back good and He and Brooke were walking down by the river, each trying to make it sound like their summers were totally perfect. Brooke explaining how she had made it her mission to kiss every boy she saw… and Lucas telling her endless stories about what he and Peyton had done, hoping she might get a clue and stop talking.

"So then I met Greg… sexy as hell! See that's him… turns out though, he wanted to wait until marriage to gave sex!" Brooke said finishing her summer story. At least Lucas hoped she was finished… if he had to hear about how one more guy Brooke kissed over the summer he didn't know what he was going to do.

"Wow"

"Are you even listening to me Lucas?"

"Yea… sure" Lucas sighed sitting down in front of the water hoping it would be a nice change of subject… before she asked him the dreaded question.

"Well then tell me more about your summer"

"Peyton and I just caught up… that sort of thing… turns out for some crazy reason she thought I was into her"

"Uh… wow… I wonder why she would have thought something like that!" Brooke whispered not looking Lucas straight in the eyes. She had totally forgotten to tell Peyton that it was her Lucas wanted and not Peyton.

"I don't know… maybe someone forgot to tell her that I don't know… I wasn't?"

"Sorry… I figured if I told her she'd want to know how I knew and I'd have to relive the whole thing… and I was already upset about it enough"

"You were upset? You…" Lucas laughed shaking his head. He was tired of listening to Brooke talk about how she was so upset and shocked and hurt about what had happened… did she even think about how he had felt?

"Lucas… you act like you were the only one who got hurt with your little speech! What did you expect me to do? Jump into your arms and tell you I wanted to be with you… after I had spent the past few weeks dealing with the fact that you wanted Peyton!"

"We've talked about his before"

"Yea well this time I'm going to be honest and not sugar coat the whole thing to save you from guilt. While you were having your little fun filled summer with Peyton I was stuck in California kissing every guy I could find trying to convince myself that when I kissed them it was the same as kissing you! That you weren't anything special" Brooke yelled. She hadn't meant to tell him any of that. He wasn't supposed to know that her whole summer had been completely miserable and lonely. That every guy she had found didn't live up to him.

"How'd that go?"

"I'm here with you aren't I?"

"But you're not WITH me Brooke… you trying to get me to date other girls and push me away! I missed you all summer too Brooke!" Lucas yelled and then there was a long pause. He thought about kissing her right then… and he would have if Peyton hadn't walked up.

"Hey sorry I'm late… Luke! You're wearing your Carowinds shirt! While you were in California Lucas, Haley and I went to Carowinds and had a blast! We actually went twice, how much fun was this summer?"

"Apparently a lot more fun than mine… I've gotta go"

Brooke waited by the main desk in what she guessed was the lobby? The whole law firm looked like a house… people were sitting around in front of a TV reading the paper or drinking coffee. Some were in the kitchen fixing oatmeal or grits. It seemed nice… no stress. At least that was what she was going to tell Lucas. Even if it was stressful he didn't need to know that until after the baby as born. People all around the office were staring at her. They all looked vaguely familiar… but so did everyone else in Tree Hill.

"Brooke Davis!" A woman from behind the desk yelled scaring Brooke to death.

"Hi?"

"Its me! Jessica? I cheered with you in high school?"

"Right… hey" Brooke smiled trying not to let her shock show through. That was Jessica? She looked terrible… well maybe not terrible… but to only be maybe 25 with a terrible 80's hair style… Brooke had never seen it coming!

"What are you doing here? Suing the bastard who got you pregnant for child support?"

"No… I work here now?"

"New intern… right. So you've got a good 3 months before maternity leave?" Jessica asked. She had a snobby tone in her voice. The kind that made Brooke want to bitch slap her… then again lately she kinda wanted to slap anything that moved.

"A good 3 days… tops…"

"Oh… well congratulations. Zach and I have been thinking about when we want to have another baby…"

"Wait… you married Zach Norris?" Brooke laughed. Was there anyone in Tree Hill who HADNT married their high school sweet heart? At least she and Lucas and gotten out and seen that they did have other options… that there were other people in the world. But in Tree Hill… you just married whoever got you knocked up senior year after prom.

"Yea… you know him? You didn't sleep with him did you? Wait, that isn't his baby is it?"

"Ew… no and ew! Hell no…"

"Wow… this is crazy. I mean you always said you were going to go to college, join the right sorority, marry a rich guy…but I guess you got fat and how you're stuck working here in this hellhole. Who'd of thought Brooke Davis wouldn't do anything she set out to do, that she'd end up alone, pregnant and having to work at a law office." Jessica laughed. Brooke want sure if she was trying be funny… or just plain bitchy. Jessica had always been a bitch… always jealous and spiteful. Their whole senior year Jessica had tried to hit on Lucas.

"Jessica…I did go to college and law school, while raising twin girls… and joined the right sorority and… married a rich guy for LOVE… not because he knocked me up senior year like some people… and I'm fat right now because I'm having his baby… and I did everything I said I was going to do Mrs. 'I'm going to be a model but now I'm working in a lousy law office' so why don't you shut up and go work another corner?"

"Well if it isn't my favorite daughter in law" Dan smiled apparently having heard Brooke's long rant. Other than having a gray hair or 2 he still looked the same… same smug smile, navy suite and evil eyes.

"Great… I'm not your daughter in law Dan…"

"Wait. You married Nathan! Wow…" Jessica laughed apparently taking pleasure in the fact that she thought Brooke had basically become Deb.

"No… Lucas…"

"Who?"

"Lucas Scott? Blonde… sexy, tall, brooding… thought you were a skank when you hit on him at the Christmas dance and wouldn't ever give you the time of day?" Brooke asked smiling. Payback was hell… hadn't Jessica learned anything from her in high school?

"Oh… yea. The poor loner who spent all his time thinking he was better than you and cheating on you with you're best friend?"

"Jessica… we were 16. Try the basketball player who ended up telling Peyton to go to hell every time she tried to break us up? The one who moved all the way down here just for me?"

"Wait… Lucas Scott is the Lucas Scott from the Bobcats?" Jessica asked. Why was it that all Brooke's former friends were basically idiots? She couldn't understand it.

"Duh…"

"And you're the one he married and…"

"Loss for words?" Brooke asked giving her a smug smile. She deserved it…

"Well you're still not any skinner than I am"

"Yea... but I'm pregnant… you're just fat"

"Meow… I wish I had some chocolate syrup" Dan laughed clapping his hands at the 2 girls fighting.

"1 more word… and so help me god I will kill you Dan… I'm very pregnant and very not afraid to hurt you"

"Ouch… point taken, since you seem so eager to work… come on. Day 1 we have a case"

"In an actual courtroom?" Brooke asked almost at a loss for words herself.

"Yea… Jessica tell Ronnie we'll be there in a minute"

"No problem Danny"

Lucas met Fergie, Skillz, and Junk on the river court after they finished up downtown. The place hadn't changed much… still the same beat up old court by the river. The guys had definitely changed though. First off Mouth wasn't there to announce anything… which made it really quiet. Fergie was still Fergie… afro and all, only dressed in a suite and with a lap top at his side. Skillz had hair believe it or not… and was wearing a polo shirt and khakis… with his old beat up tennis shoes. And Junk… well Lucas hadn't ever really realized how much older he was than them. He was like 26 when Lucas was 16… now junk was 35 and had a receding hairline. Lucas was starting to think Brooke's theory about getting older and how it kinda sucked… was right.

"Hey man" Junk said giving Lucas the 'guy hug' as Brooke called it.

"Look at you dawg… Brooke's turned you into a man"

"Actually she did that when they were 16" Fergie laughed winking at Lucas.

"How is Brooke?"

"Very pregnant… and very insistent about working until she has the baby"

"Damn man… you 2 are like rabbits! How many kids you got?" Skillz asked looking down at Allie and Chloë, each attached to one of Lucas's legs.

"Baby makes 3"

"But he got the 2 for 1 special with those 2"

"Which is which?" Junk asked looking down at the girls

"Allie's in the pink with the purple flowers, and Chloë's in the purple with the pink flowers… these are my girls" Lucas said pulling Allie into one arm and Chloë into the other. He always laughed at how Brooke showed them off to all her friends and here he was doing it too. He loved telling people they were 'his' girls.

"I'm guessing Brooke dressed them?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Those dresses are so short I can see their frilly underwear?" Junk asked making everyone laugh

"Mine is pink!" Chloë giggled pointing to her pull up cover.

"Future Tree Hill Cheerleaders… this next one a girl too?"

"Nope… a boy"

"He better be named Fergie" Fergie laughed

"Yea right man… What's his name?"

"Crisan!" Allie said very matter of factly and proud that she knew his name.

"Yeaha"

"Brooke and the girls decided his middle name is Christian… Nip Tuck"

"Right…man look at those 2. It's like seeing double Brooke back when she was 2" Skillz said shaking his head in disbelief.

"Are we going to play or what man?"

"Shoot for teams… let me get the girls pom poms, come on" Lucas said flipping the girls over his shoulders to carry them out to t he car to get their pom poms.

"Ahhh…do it again"

"You guys have got to cheer loud for me ok?"

"Like mommy?" Allie asked

"Just like mommy"

Brooke rode with Dan to the courthouse… or wherever they were going. With him you never knew. Lucas would probably kill her if he knew she was in a car with him, but Lucas was always paranoid about that sort of thing… there was only so much harm one man could do. Plus she was having way too much fun torturing and annoying him on the way there… he was such an easy target… plus he wanted to know anything and everything about her and Lucas's life and so we was willing to say about anything to know.

"So Danny boy… how's the family? Oh wait… you aren't on speaking terms with any of your family are you? Never mind" Brooke laughed as Dan drove. Right now it was 3-0 and she was in the lead of the insult party.

"I'm talking to you"

"I'm not family…"

"You know biologically that kid inside you is… and so are your girls" Dan smiled. The score was now 3-1…

"Maybe I should just get Karen to tell you she's a ho and Lucas isn't yours… and maybe neither is Nathan!"

"Karen was a ho and a slut and a skank in high school. She tries to blame everything that happened on me when the truth is she was the one who started it all. Everyone acts like she was perfect because she had Lucas and kept him… but think about it…to get pregnant you have to have sex and she did… even if it was with me. Imagine if you and Lucas had been pregnant in high school."

"Every girl in a ho in high school at some point" Brooke smiled rolling her eyes at Dan. He wasn't going to win this… this was her thing. Insulting people she didn't like… making them feel like dirt and who better to do that too then Dan?

"Maybe so"

"So… how long have you been banging Jessica?"

"About 6 months… that guy she's married too, Zach is it? He has no idea… he's too busy getting busy with Theresa" Dan laughed deviously. She had to give him props for not lying about it… but then again Dan neverlied about stuff like that. If anything Dan's problem was that he was too honest.

"You know… I should probably thank you"

"For what?"

"For not being in Lucas's life… I married him because of the man he is… and well he's that man because of you." Brooke smiled trying to sound sincere. If the smart ass remarks weren't working then maybe the sweet ones would get to him.

"You know… that's something you and Lucas always had in common. Both you're fathers were labeled ass holes. But really your dad and I are just 2 guys who got ripped off. All I asked for was a normal life, to play basketball… I made one mistake and suddenly, everyone sees me as the bad guy. You're dad… all he wanted was a son. The doctors told him you were a boy I heard… just because they thought that if he knew you were a girl he'd abort you. You're mother… she was a good woman though… never wanted kids… she just wanted a life that was comfortable. When was the last time you talked to your dad?"

"Since when are you a shrink Dan?"

"Just asking" Dan grinned knowing he had hit a nerve with Brooke. She and Lucas were 1 in the same when it came to their dads.

"I don't really talk to my parents… I try to stay as far away from them as possible. I don't want my girls or this baby to be anywhere near them… or have to deal with the kind of life I did"

"What kind was that?"

"The kind where my girls don't have to ask me if I love them, or that my son wont have to worry that Lucas or I might kill each other in the night. I don't know much about being a parent… in fact I really don't know anything. But I know as long as I tell my kids I love them everyday and that they mean the world to Lucas and I… they'll be ok with whatever mistakes we make with them as they get older." Brooke said trying to figure out why she was telling Dan of all people this. It wasn't any of his business.

"I'll admit you and Lucas are good parents… Nathan and Haley… well lets just say they should have waited until they matured a little… but remember this and I speak from experience. The harder people try to be the opposite of their parents, the quicker they become them."

"Ow"

"There's nothing cold about that quote" Dan laughed giving Brooke a weird look.

"No… I mean ouch… like as in my… back"

"Your back?"

"I forgot how much this hurt…hand me your phone and turn around" Brooke whined putting her hand on her stomach. Of course this would happen today… when she was with none other than Dan Scott…

"Why?"

"Unless you want me to have a baby in your car… we need to go to the hospital… oww… Lucas pick up"