Part 23

"So, who was that?" Lucas asks as they enter the café.

"What?" Peyton responds, looking around the empty shop. "Oh, um just a friend." She answers not really wanting to listen to Lucas' opinion on her escapades last night knowing she would be facing Haley and Nathan very shortly.

Walking over to the counter with her boyfriend trailing slowly behind her with his hands in his jean pockets she looks further back into the kitchen area.

"Is your mom not in this morning?" She asks finally turning to Lucas.

"Ah, yeah, she's in back with Sandra just now. They're going over orders I think." He says before running behind the counter with a grin.

"So?" He begins. "How may I be of service Madam?" He continues adding a little bow for effect.

Peyton chuckles and slaps at him.

"In that case, I'll have some mixed doughnuts to go and umm, what should I get Haley?" She asks wanting to be able to get in the pregnant girls good side straight off the bat.

Lucas thinks on that while he boxes up some doughnuts. "Well, I'm not sure what she eats now, with the whole pregnancy, cravings thing. But she did used to love blueberry pancakes, which we have." He offers.

As much as Haley had been his best friend growing up they hadn't spent as much time together as they used to, which made him sad. He knew she was happy with Nathan so he could accept the changes to their relationship that had developed over the last few months, what he was having trouble with was how unsure he felt of his relationship with Peyton.

Things had been going really well until the night before Prom. The moment Peyton had witnessed the tape showing Nathan and Brooke together she had closed up with him. Try as he had, there was just no way she was letting him back in again, now with what had occurred to Brooke and the prospect of Ian in the background, he was desperate to be closer to his girlfriend again.

"Sure, add in a couple of those then." Peyton said.

"There you go, anything else?" Lucas asks handing over the now closed box while taking the cash the blonde was holding out.

"Nah, actually… can I put in an order for some sandwiches and cakes later?" She asks.

"Okay?" He replies unsure why but willing to do as he was told.

"It's to take into the hospital for the nurses." She answers his unspoken question with a smile. It felt good to pay back some of the kindness that had been shown to Brooke and herself in the last few days. Even if it was only just a few sandwiches.

"Oh! Okay we can do that, and no charge, our little gift." He says writing out a note and sticking it next to the till.

"Are you sure?" Peyton asks having taken some cash out of her pocket.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." He says waving her money away and moving to join her on the other side of the counter.

"Okay, thanks."

"Hey, Peyton, nice to see you." Karen says walking out from the back and going over to give the young girl a hug.

"Hey Karen."

"How have you been honey? And how's Brooke doing?" Karen asks with concern not having been able to visit the young girl yet.

Peyton sighs as she follows Karen over to a table and sits with Lucas taking the seat beside her.

"I've been coping I guess, I'm just trying to do what I can for Brooke, but she should be out in a day or two." Peyton says fiddling with the napkin lying on the table.

"So soon?" Karen replies a little shocked at that news, it had been less than a week since Brooke had been rushed straight into surgery because she was so badly injured.

"Ah, yeah, if everything goes okay and she passes some tests and stuff." Peyton adds.

"Are you sure she's up to being released so soon? Cause I can't see her being ready to be up and about on her own." Lucas says shifting in his chair. He was in agreement with his mother that it was a little soon to be leaving medical care.

"She won't be alone!" Peyton says hotly to Lucas.

Lucas quickly raised his hands as Peyton turned on him.

"Peyton, Lucas is just concerned. We all want Brooke to get better as quick as possible, we're just worried that it might be a bit premature for her to be out of hospital so soon after such injuries." Karen said placing a comforting hand on Peyton's forearm.

Peyton turned her attention to Lucas' mother knowing that Karen was only trying to express what she thought was best for Brooke. But she was wrong, and Peyton knew that.

It had nothing to do with Brooke's injuries, she would never be release if the doctors and nurses thought for a second that she wasn't ready, it had to do with Brooke. As her closest friend Peyton understood just how much Brooke needed to be out of the hospital and back among her friends.

Brooke hated to be alone, and at this moment she spent a total of three hours a day with visitors, an hour and a half in the afternoon and the same in the evening. It just wasn't enough. Not when you considered what had happened to Brooke, she needed her friends now more than ever, and Peyton wasn't going to be the one to refuse her.

And even if she never asked for help aloud, from what she had witnessed and been told from Shannon, it was crucial to Brooke to get out as soon as she was able to leave. And Peyton would be there to help her every step of the way for as long as it was necessary.

"And I can understand your concern, but the sooner Brooke gets out of there the happier she'll be and the happier I'll be. And I think that's what really matters, they won't let her out if she's still having trouble but she's having physio for some of it and the rest will take time to heal." She says wanting both of them to appreciate that it really was in Brooke's best interests to be out of that place as quickly as possible.

"It's not like she'll be running around stupid the second she walks out of hospital, she'll be at home resting as much as she needs to." She adds when their troubled looks remain at the idea.

Karen watches the resolve in Peyton's eyes and chooses to keep any further comment she had at the idea of Brooke's impending release to herself, accepting that she wouldn't be able to convince the blonde girl that it was foolish to rush Brooke's recovery, even if to her it was verging on dangerous.

Especially if you considered that in hospital Brooke was fairly secure, but after release it wouldn't be so simple to keep both girls safe. And with Brooke still injured, she would have to keep faith that the police would do their jobs and protect both girls properly.

As the silence dragged on between the three a tension was created with Karen on one side and Peyton on the other. Lucas was left in the middle and although he agreed with his mother he knew it wasn't a good idea to upset Peyton.

"Come on I'll give you a lift over to the apartment." Lucas offered as he stood, it hadn't seemed like either women was going to speak anytime soon.

Peyton nodded her agreement, she didn't have many options anyway, it was either accept a ride from Lucas, call a cab, or walk. And as much as the time it would take to walk home appealed to her, the hassle she would get for it didn't.

So making sure to lift the box she had come here for in the first place she began to follow her boyfriend out to his car.

"Oh and Peyton? Your father called last night." Karen said nearly forgetting to mention that before the blonde left.

Peyton cringed as she faced Karen again, waiting to hear the result of what had been spoken about. Guessing it wouldn't be pretty when she finally talked to him herself.

"And no I didn't tell him everything." She says much to the blonde's surprise.

"But I did let him know that something had happened, that it was very serious, and that you would be calling him later today. Okay?" She adds, it had been a very difficult exchange but she had managed to calm Larry enough to inform him that everyone would be okay, but it was best that he get a proper explanation from his daughter.

"I'll call him." She says not sure whether she was grateful or not that Karen hadn't told Larry what had been going on lately in Tree Hill. "Later." She added and continued out with Lucas.

She wasn't prepared to worry about that discussion when she had more pressing issues to deal with, namely two housemates that weren't very happy with her behaviour right now. Her father could wait as it wasn't like he'd be able to do anything from where he was anyway, so with a shrug, she focused on figuring out what she could do to smooth things over with her two friends.

She hoped Brooke's idea of chocolate would work, if not then Lucas' suggested pancakes might do the trick.

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Nathan walked into the living area and watched his wife check the time again.

"She'll be here soon Hale's, she's probably just dragging her heels not wanting to get here too quickly." He says with a smile taking a seat beside her and placing his bag down beside him.

He was just waiting for Lucas to arrive before they would head out to take the remainder of the posters down from around town.

"You think so?" Haley asks worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Yeah, of course knowing she has to face you, do you really think she'd be in a rush to get here?" He says laughing and getting a responding laugh from his wife, albeit a weaker one.

"Oh, I'm not that bad Nathan!" She says with a frown.

The honk of a car horn causes both of them to glance to the front door.

Standing Nathan quickly walks over to the window and looks out, disappointed when her sees Lucas' car at the bottom of the path.

Sighing he turns back to his wife. "It's only Lucas." He says walking over to Haley and kisses her before picking up his bag.

"I'll call you later okay?" He says helping her stand to walk him out.

"How long do you think it'll take you to finish getting them all down?" Haley asks.

"Not sure, a couple of hours at least. Less if Mouth and Skills decide to show up too." He answers although he didn't really expect the other two boys to show, in fact he had thought he would be doing it on his own but he was happy Lucas had volunteered as well.

"Go easy on Peyton okay, at least hear her out first. We all know she did a really stupid thing last night but I think after she explains why she did it you'll understand." He says, thinking that although he was upset with his friend for risking herself like that he would have done similarly had it been Haley in the hospital, if he had ever left in the first place.

"Think about it." He adds when she just scowls up at him.

"Hey, look who I brought with me." Lucas says opening the door and stepping aside to allow a very tentative Peyton to pace him into the apartment.

Nathan watches Peyton eye his wife and couldn't help the grin that took over his features, he was sorry he was going to miss out but Haley would fill him in later.

"Well, I guess we should get going then." Nathan says giving Peyton a consoling pat on the shoulder as he walked passed her and gave his a brother a shove out of the doorway.

"You're not staying." Peyton asks rapidly before they could get out completely.

"Nope, stuff to do." He said with a smirk as he turned back to them. "And try to play nice now." He adds before he disappeared, closing the door as he went.

Peyton slowly turned back to the only other person in the apartment, a heavily pregnant, pissed off Haley.

Oh, won't this be fun!

"Doughnut?" She asks hopefully, holding the box out to the other girl, a small smile edging her lips.

Haley kept the scowl in place with her arms crossed and just glared at the blonde.

"Pancake?"

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"So what was all of that about?" Lucas asks his younger brother not understanding why things had seemed so awkward after he had arrived with Peyton.

Nathan chuckled.

"Oh, I don't think you really want to know." He said as the made their way into the section of town that still had posters up.

"No?"

"Nope."

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AN/ Bah… 2-1… to THEM… grrrrrrrr… :( :sniff:

:Sigh:

Anyway, how are you guys? Good? Thanks for sticking with this, and to those reviewing – thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Hope everyone still enjoys how this is going, promise things will progress when Brooke gets allowed home, although not right away. LOL

Thanks to everyone reading and hello to the newbies!

Catch you all next time.