A/N- Chapter one's title song is "Over My Head" by Semisonic

Chapter title is Staring At the Sun by Rooster

Chapter Twelve: Staring At The Sun

Taylor figured she had heard enough and opened the door revealing herself to her mother. She could see Lydia's shocked expression and knew that she had been caught.

Lydia glanced at her nervously before turning back to her conversation. "I'll have to call you back." And with those words, she hung up the phone leaving the room in silence as mother and daughter stared at each other.

"Is Mark their father?"

"Yes," Lydia spoke surely of herself as she started walking away from the desk toward the door, toward Taylor. "I don't know what you heard Taylor but yes Mark Davis is their father."

"I want you to do a paternity test," Taylor spoke the words before the thought had even crossed her mind. She didn't want her sisters to go through the rest of their lives living another lie.

Lydia's brown eyes narrowed on Taylor's. "Don't you think that's a bit drastic? I already told you." She watched as Taylor shook her head.

"What if you're wrong?" Taylor questioned, not wanting to gaze into her mother's eyes, the same eyes that Haley had, that if used just right could make Taylor do anything she wanted.

Lydia gave her a small, tired smile, "What if I'm right and you just threw the twins an unnecessary curveball, Taylor?"

Taylor tried her hardest not to smile at the her use of the word twins. That's what they were now, they were Brooke and Haley, her younger twin sisters. "I think you should do it anyway. I'll talk to them about it."

And with that, Taylor left the room leaving her mother to wonder when she had gotten so protective over her sisters. She went up the stairs slowly wondering just exactly how she was going to tell Haley and Brooke of what she had just heard. She heard laughter coming from Haley's room and couldn't help but smile at the noise. Just as long as the both of them were together, they would be alright.

"Taylor!"

Haley's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized she was standing outside of her door. "What Hay?"

Haley had to bite back the smile that was threatening to form, "I just asked you three times if you wanted to go to the mall with Brooke and me."

"Uh, sure," Taylor nodded; maybe she would be able to tell them there. This was after all pretty big. "Just let me get dressed." She watched Haley nod in reply before taking off towards her room.

Brooke cast Haley a weird look, "What's up with her?"

Haley had to laugh, "She's always like that."

"Scary," Brooke's eyes widened dramatically before she smiled. "And we're related?" She could help but giggled. "Never thought I'd get to say that."

"Me either," Haley agreed. She glanced back toward Taylor's room, "Me either."

Three hours later, Haley and Taylor were dragging their feet wanting to go home already. They were tired and drained of shopping and they could take no more. Brooke, however, was still going.

"I love this store!" Brooke cheered as she went in, leaving her two sisters behind her.

Taylor glanced at Haley wearily, "Where the hell does she get all this energy from?"

"She's like the freakin' energizer bunny," Haley muttered. "She just keeps going and going and going."

She sighed. "I have a shift in two hours, and I don't think my feet can take anymore."

"Stop complaining Tutor girl!" Brooke exclaimed from a dressing room. "You're a waitress, you should be used to being on your feet this long."

Taylor shot Haley an amused glance. "Tutor girl?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Don't ask. She thinks it's highly creative." She let out a smile as she turned back to her twin. "I think my legs are going to revolt, Tigger!"

Taylor choked back a laugh. "You guys are way too funny. Tigger, Tutor girl?" She shook her head. "And your legs can't revolt Haley, that would be completely impossible."

"Anything's possible Tay," Haley gave her a wink before turning back to Brooke who was stepping out of the dressing room.

"How do I look?" Brooke spun around, showing off the dress she was wearing. "It's not too much, is it?" She shrugged to herself as she look in the mirror before answering her own question. "Nope, it's perfect!"

Haley nodded in agreement. "You look great." Suddenly a passing figure caught her eye through the mirror. What were they doing here? Last she checked, there was still school going on.

Brooke's eyes narrowed as she saw her former best friend and former ex standing outside the store. "What are they doing here?" She didn't turn around. "They are about the last two people I'd ever expect to be hanging out at the mall after ditching school."

Taylor glanced back and forth between the twins before turning around to see just exactly what they were staring at. She suddenly noticed Haley's hottie of a best friend and her new curly-haired friend. "Hey isn't that Lu…"

"Yes it is," Haley hissed. She pulled Taylor away from Brooke who had gone back into the dressing room to change. "Luke was Brooke's boyfriend until she caught him cheating on her with her best friend." She pointed over to Peyton. "And there they are, together."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Ouch."

"Yeah, which is why we have to leave," Haley explained.

Taylor nodded in agreement. "Say Brooke, what do you say we go get lunch at Karen's? That way we can finally eat and Haley-bub won't have to whine about being late."

"Sounds good to me," Brooke shrugged. She smiled slyly to herself when she saw that Lucas and Peyton had disappeared.

Taylor smiled. "Good."

"Karen, everything was delicious," Taylor praised as the older woman came to check up on everything. "No wonder Haley practically lives here."

Karen gave Taylor a smile before turning back to Haley who was deep in conversation with Brooke. "Thank you Taylor."

Suddenly the door swung open and the bell rang revealing Lucas who was all sweaty from playing basketball at the rivercourt. Brooke winced at the sight of him and made a point of ignoring him while talking to Haley.

"You can't ignore him forever, you know," Haley told her quietly as she glanced over at her best friend. "He's going to want to talk to you." Before Brooke could respond, Haley continued. "I know it's not what you want to hear and don't get so defensive, I'm just trying to help you."

Brooke let out a sigh, it sucked that Haley knew how she was going to react before she ever said anything. "It's only been a couple days Tutor girl, I can be mad for that long, right?" She sent her sister an amused smirk.

Before Haley could reply, the door swung open again and this time Mark Davis stalked in. He spotted Taylor and his eyes narrowed, surprising both Brooke and Haley. "Dad?"

Mark nodded toward Brooke but didn't reply. "How dare you think that Brooke and Haley weren't my daughters? It's bad enough that they've both refused to live with me, but now I have to get a paternity test to prove that they don't want to live with their own father? You have no right."

Haley's eyes widened and Brooke's jaw dropped. What the hell was going on? Even Lucas seemed surprised by the older man's outburst. But of course, Taylor was already in step to argue with him.

"I overheard you and my mother talking about that this morning," Taylor shot back. "And even you weren't too sure of it either. Gotta say, this has been a pretty sucky week for you."

Mark shook his head angrily. "This isn't any of your business Taylor."

"You're wrong Mr. Davis," Taylor retorted. "Haley and now Brooke are my sisters, my baby sisters, and I want to make sure that they're okay, especially before I leave. So this is my business."

Mark glanced down at Brooke and Haley who were sitting side by side in the booth. "As far as I'm concerned Taylor, this particular issue has nothing to do with you."

"Everything that concerns them is important to me," Taylor replied, her eyes catching Haley's for a second before turning back to Mark. "Between Haley moving out, Brooke moving out and the issue of their father, I'd have to say that I'm allowed to voice my opinion."

Haley's eyes widened at Taylor's words. She didn't want her father to know that she was moving out. "Taylor!"

"What Haley?" Taylor focused on her sister, "I didn't tell him you were moving in with Nathan."

Brooke let out a smile. Taylor could screw things up with the best of them and though she hadn't believed Haley when she told her, she definitely believed it now. "Nice, Taylor."

Lucas was the first to react. "You're moving in with Nathan?"

Haley shot him a glare. This was more than she wanted to handle in one day. There was no way that she could fix this now. "Not now Lucas."

"Who's Nathan?" Mark glanced between Lucas and Brooke before settling on Haley. "You're not moving in with a boy Haley." He caught the small blush creeping up his daughter's face. "Especially not your boyfriend."

"You guys are back together?" Lucas got off the stool and moved closer to the drama. "Why didn't you tell me Haley? I'm your best friend."

Haley sighed, "I was going to tell you Lucas but can we please do this later?" She shot Brooke a look.

"I think you need to go," Brooke understood immediately and turned to her father. "Haley and I will come to you with our own opinions when we want, and leave Taylor alone." She watched her father nod helplessly and walk out of the café before turning to Lucas with a stony glare. "And you need to mind your own business."

"Brooke, I…" Lucas' speech was interrupted as Peyton stepped through the doorway. She caught sight of Lucas, Brooke, and Haley by the window before taking a deep breathe and walking over to them.

Haley's eyes widened and she just couldn't believe her unfortunate luck of living in this dramatic town. It was definitely getting ridiculous. She kicked Taylor under the table and forced the older girl to look at her. They both knew they had to get Brooke out of there before she did or said anything she would regret.

"We need to talk," Peyton cleared her voice as she reached them.

Brooke's eyes narrowed, "We have nothing to talk about." She stood up. "And I would prefer it if you didn't try to speak to me again."

"Brooke!" Peyton exclaimed as she watched the brunette leave the café. She felt Haley's hand on her shoulder and turned around.

"You need to give her some time and space Peyton," Haley told her quietly. She nodded to her sister before turning back to her friend. "There's no way you can try to fix this right now." She glanced at Lucas. "I'll call you later."

As they left, following in the steps of Brooke who was waiting for them by Taylor's car, Lucas and Peyton were left standing there not looking at each other before finally one of them spoke. "What the hell were we thinking?"