Chapter Forty-Nine: The End of All Things

Author's note: If This was a TV show, like in my previous author's note, this would be the next season finale.
Four Months Later

It was past being late at night. It was very, very early in the morning. The apartment was pitch black, but even still Jake had no trouble seeing in the dark.

His annoyance grew as his subconscious told him that it shouldn't have to be this hard. That he shouldn't have to worry when she was out into all hours of the night.

He shuddered as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His usually smooth face had slight stubble on it, making him look older and slightly artistic. His eyes had noticeable bags, and were slightly blood shot. He was himself at his worst, in pain that only she could bring about.

The door to their apartment slowly creaked open, and Peyton stepped in. He saw her glance around the room and blink several times, attempting to readjust her eyes to the lack of light.

"Where the hell were you?" asked Jake after a moment, unwilling to make pleasantries. Peyton jumped at his voice.

"God, what are you still doing up?" she asked.

"Waiting for you." His voice was cold.

"I went out. I would have told you, but you weren't around," she said.

"I went to visit the Scotts. They say 'hi'," he said sarcastically.

"You could have asked me along," she said reproachfully.

"Who are you kidding? You hate being there," said Jake.

"I do not."

"Yeah you do. But it doesn't even matter. God, you've been gone for hours. Don't you think I'd worry?" he demanded.

"You worry too much. Like I did last week when you took off for Providence without so much as telling me," said Peyton.

"I would have, if I'd seen you at all. And you hate seeing Seamus," reminded Jake.

"How could someone not hating seeing Seamus? He's so bland."

"I like Seamus," protested Jake, knowing he was being petty.

"You would. He's so safe. Nathan was so dangerous. You always were jealous of him," said Peyton. Jake rolled his eyes in pent up annoyance.

"I love Haley like a sister. God, why does it have to be this hard?" he questioned.

"Because you make it hard, Jake! You have to stop treating me like something you have to protect!"

"It's not just that! It's everything! We never talk, we never go anywhere together. I don't even know what's going on in your life. And I hate that," he said.

"Then do something about it. Stop brooding, stop whining. I can't take it anymore!" she said in exasperation.

"Peyton, I don't think I can do this anymore," he said, feeling disbelief at the sound of his own words. She stared at him in shock as her phone rang. Angrily she answered it and spoke in clipped sentences that Jake couldn't make any sense of.

"That girl never did have any sense of timing," she said to him, once she'd hung up. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Brooke's in labour."

It was perhaps a good thing that the flight they booked had only two seats left, and those spread out. Jake didn't think their already fragile relationship could handle the eight-hour flight in each other's constant company.

They ran into the hospital and quickly tracked down the nursery. Both were surprised to see Lucas, his forehead pressed up against the glass window, his hands on it at shoulder height, looking intently at something.

Peyton and Jake followed his gaze. At the exact same moment their eyes fell on a small, blue blanket wrapped bundle. A boy. A blondish, blue eyed boy.

"He's yours," said Jake in disbelief, staring at the child. Never had there been a baby so obviously Lucas', so obviously a Scott.

"I know." He sounded incredulous at his own good fortune. Peyton touched the glass timidly, amazed at the thing her best friend had created.

"He's beautiful," she whispered.

"He's going to be a heartbreak," predicted Jake.

"He is a Scott," joked Lucas, not tearing his eyes away from his son. His son. His.

"Unquestionably," came a voice behind them. All three turned to see Brooke shuffling down the hall toward them, walking slowly and awkwardly. She was slightly deflated, her brown hair was a mess, her green eyes less than sparkling, but still Brooke. Lucas ran to her and gently folded her in his arms.

"Good job, babe," he said, whispering into her hair, looking gladder than any of them had ever seen.

"We did good," she agreed, mumbling into his chest. Peyton and Jake exchanged glances, attempting to remember the last time they themselves had been so close.

Jake smiled in relief as Nathan and Ryan burst into the door at the opposite end of the hall. In a pathetic way seeing Nathan, who's love life was infinitely worse than his own, cheered him up.

"Sorry, we had to drop off Leigh at the hotel before we came, she's dead to the world. I'm guessing we missed it?" Lucas temporarily released his wife so that her brother-in-law could embrace her. Ryan ran down the hall and hugged Peyton and then Jake. Peyton gave him a pointed look over her head-one that he chose to ignore.

"So what's his name?" asked Ryan eagerly, bouncing from one foot to the other. Brooke and Lucas exchanged smiles, and once more Jake felt a wave of longing wash through him.

"Devon. Devon Scott. We argued for a long time over whether his middle name should be Jake or Nathan…" Jake smiled genuinely for the first time since he'd arrived at the hospital, and Nathan let out a short laugh. "But after everything, we decided on Keith."

"It's a good name," said Ryan decidedly, looking happily at her nephew.

"I think he's going to be a ball player," said Nathan. Lucas smiled.

"His prerogative." Nathan and Lucas exchanged significant glances, both of their minds flicking to the brief period of time occupied by Dan Scott.

"Always." Brooke leaned against her husband, exhausted by the labour. She was a nineteen-year-old mother, she realized. She felt like the subject of an after school special.

"Come on, we have to get you back in bed," said Lucas sternly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Brooke rolled her eyes and walked with him back toward her room. Ryan took one last glance at Devon and one more hug from Jake before following Nathan out, presumably to rest at their hotel.

For a time they stood together, watching the tiny blonde baby yawn and attempt to move slightly against its tight bindings. They smiled at his hat, much too large for his head, and marveled at the deep blue of his eyes whenever his lids flickered open.

"We're never going to have that," said Jake eventually. For a moment, Peyton thought he was speaking of Devon. Eventually, she realized he was talking of Brooke and Lucas.

"Yeah," she said softly, disbelievingly. She remembered months ago, promising to love him forever. She remembered her whole life, subconsciously preparing herself for him. Was there ever a time she hadn't loved him? She put her hand on his arm, but he pulled away.

"Do you want me to move out?" he asked.

"No, I will. I have some friends I can stay with," said Peyton, her eyes slowly welling with tears. She turned to him, in a desperate attempt to reach the part of him that still loved her. In desperate attempt to tell him what she should have told him every day since the fifth grade.

But he was already gone, and suddenly they were beyond any desperate attempts.