Chapter One Hundred Four: Something In My Heart

"So."

Jake glanced sideways at Ryan, and then back toward the oak front door.

"You going to knock?"

Ryan looked at him with wide, pannicked eyes.

"Hell no."

"You used to live here," he reminded her.

"So technically we should be able to just go in," he said.

"Yeah. Technically."

"So that's going to happen..."

"Any time now," she said confidently.

Ryan pasted on a smile as Nathan walked in and lifted her off the ground in his hug. Even when they were twenty-two and twenty-nine, he still regarded her as a child.

"Ryan, how are you?" asked Haley, rushing over to give her a hug. Ryan gratefully hugged her sister, comforted by her embrace.

"Remind me again why it had to be today?" she murmured to Jake as they walked behind Haley and Nathan.

"Because you're three months in. You're going to start showing soon and it'd probably be good if they knew before then," muttered Jake.

"Right."

Jake took Ryan's hand as they sat down. Haley noticed the gesture and raised an eyebrow, but Nathan was oblivious. She smiled as he pulled her down on to his lap, and they looked expectantly at the two.

"What's up guys?" asked Haley eventually.

Ryan and Jake exchanged glasses. Haley and Jake had grown up as best friend, but now their relationship was infinitely different, as she was married to his lover's father figure.

"We have something to tell you," said Jake bravely. Ryan smiled softly at him before continuing.

"I'm pregnant."

Nathan's eyes widened in shock as his face tinged slightly red. Haley on his lap attempted to calm him for a moment, and stopped him from leaping off the sofa and strangling Jake.

"With his? How'd that happen?" he demanded.

"In the usual way," admitted Ryan, looking down.

"God, what'd I tell you? About being careful?" he demanded. She glanced back up, her eyes flashing. Jake noticed with surprise how incredibly similar they looked.

"Like you're one to talk," she quipped. Nathan's gaze fell on his wife's already rounded figure.

"We're married," he said.

"Nate, in my defense, this didn't just happen. This is something we both decided we wanted. I'll be around. I'm not going anywhere," said Jake.

"What, you're going to ride off my baby sister's coattails for the rest of your life?" asked Nathan angrily. Haley put a hand on his shoulder.

"That's not what I said."

Nathan rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"Babe, calm down. Ryan's my age," she reminded him reproachfully.

"It's different," he said stubbornly.

"Oh?" asked Haley, raising an eyebrow and surpressing a smile.

"Yes, it is. We're married," he reminded her.

"I'm aware. I was there. But it doesn't matter. They've lived together for longer than we have, some would even say their relationship is more functional. So we really have nothing to complain about. Congratulations, guys," she said.

Ryan smiled covertly at her sister-in-law, who winked.

"All I can say... is that it's a good thing you have the missus on your side. Good luck with all of it. I'm happy for you," he managed to say. Jake grinned.

"We are too," he said. Nathan lifted Haley off of his lap, who crossed the room to sit by Ryan. Nathan and Jake met in the middle of the room and awkwardly hugged. Jake remembered when they'd been closest, when Nathan had been alone, taking care of Leigh and Ryan. A lifetime ago.

Ryan and Jake slowly walked around the block to Brooke and Lucas' house. She took several deep breaths as they walked, as though still trying to come to terms with the scenario at Nathan and Haley's.

"That went well," said Jake eventually, unnerved by the interminable silence.

"Yeah. Eventually. They're in a good phase again," she said.

"I hope it last."

Ryan nodded silently. She hoped theirs would last, too.

"Get a room," said Jake teasingly, once they'd entered to find Brooke and Lucas making out on the sofa. Ryan was surprisingly endeared by the sight. It had been a long time.

"You guys have been married a zillion years, you think you'd be tired of it by now," said Ryan, dropping down into an armchair. Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Five years, actually. Five years today," she said scathingly.

"Already? Congratulations, you guys. We have news, too," said Ryan bravely. Brooke smiled expectantly, and Ryan was infinitely gratified.

"I'm pregnant," she said at last. Brooke squealed and jumped up from the sofa to hug her.

"Oh, me too! This is just too cute, Haley is too. Oh, I'm so happy for you two!" she said.

"It was something we both wanted to do. We're not together," said Jake quickly, as he shook Lucas' hand. Brooke nodded, not much bothered. She was more confident than she'd ever been that the two of them would end up together.

Lucas smiled as he took his little sister in his arms. For so long, none of them had had much cause to be happy. Now they all were.

Brooke leaned in to Lucas and put an arm around him.

"This is so cool. It's like a trend now, how 2006 of us. Watch us all have the babies on the same day," she said, giggling. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"You should have seen Nathan. He looked like he was going to rip my head off," said Jake.

"I think Nathan thinks you're still seven," said Lucas, directing his comment at Ryan.

Ryan stared at Brooke and Lucas as they all laughed.

"So are you guys actually good now, or is it just another pretend good?" she asked cautiously.

"It's an actual good. We discussed our issues. We worked them out," said Lucas. Brooke smiled.

"It's better than good," said Brooke softly, her hazel eyes twinkling.

Jake, influenced by their obvious bliss, slid an arm around Ryan. She sighed happily. For years, all of this had seemed completely unatainable. Suddenly she was sure they could make it work, could make it forever. There was nothing in their way. She knew she mattered more to him than anyone.

They linked hands as they left Brooke and Lucas' house.

"You know, you kissed me once, before we were ever lovers," she admitted.

"I know. I remember," he said, glancing down at her.

"No you don't. You were drunk."

"I'd just come back from finding Peyton with Christian. I remember the next morning, I just thought you'd regretted it, because you never mentioned it," he said.

Ryan laughed appreciatively. Her smiled remained as they flagged down a taxi and rode to their apartment. As they walked up the stairs together and made dinner, and watched the lame eighties movie on TV.

She only frowned when they went to bed and he vanished into his own bed, seperate from her.