Part 56

Peyton carefully put her car into park, and by carefully she meant in her attempt not to dislodge Brooke's hand from her leg, not caring so much that she was executing a far from perfect parallel park.

She licked her lips and debated on whether or not she should turn off the ignition and get them out and into the hospital. Where there were people. Lots of people. All of whom would, she hoped, prevent her from making a complete fool of herself with Brooke.

It's not my fault, nuh huh, it's Brooke's. Completely and entirely Brooke's fault.

Peyton was innocent.

Brooke grinned as she looked over at Peyton and saw her white knuckle the steering wheel.

She bit her lip and let her hand drift further up the blonde's thigh, curious as to what reaction she'd get.

Peyton swallowed and clenched her jaw together as those fingers worked themselves closer to the apex of her legs. Totally all Brooke's fault. She was however enjoying Brooke's attentions no matter how distracting and tempting they continued to be.

With the strength of her willpower being tested she congratulated herself for having so far resisted to give in, they had an appointment to keep after all, and what if she was reading it all wrong anyway, how would Brooke take it?

In another day in another time, with all those adorable gazes Brooke had been sending her all morning, they never would have made it out of the apartment. Peyton would have dragged her back to their bedroom and not let her go until she'd done many, many unspeakable things to her.

But no, she was being good and so here they were, at the hospital, on time even.

Miracle of miracles.

Brooke's eyebrows contracted as she realised Peyton was lost in her own thoughts and was no longer paying attention to her wandering fingers. She smirked and decided to see how far she could get before the blonde was snapped back to reality.

"Hey! Hands!" Peyton yelped as she made a grab for Brooke's hand and forced it back towards its owner. She scowled at the giggling brunette. "Meanie." She muttered crossing her arms and trying to sound offended but the blush working its way up her cheeks ruined it slightly.

"I'm sorry." Brooke said not looking the least bit repentant.

Peyton snorted and turned to Brooke with a raised eyebrow and soon they were both laughing and the tension dissipated.

Peyton shook her head and pulled out her keys. "Come on, let's get in there before you cause me any more trouble."

"Me?" Brooke questioned before popping her trusty baseball cap into place and getting out as Peyton made her way around the car to her.

"Yes you." Peyton repeated, wrapping her arm around Brooke and helping her cross the road. She knew the brunette was still having some pain putting her full weight on her bad leg and so wanted to make it easier for Brooke without her friend having to ask.

Brooke sighed as she leant into the blonde and searched around them just in case there were any reporters around. There didn't seem to be but it never hurt to be vigilant. She was still far from ready to talk to anyone about her attack, and she didn't want Peyton to face any questions either.

xxxxxxxxxx

Haley eyed her husband as he seemed to struggle with the bags in his hands as he collected her things now that she'd officially been released by the doctors. She considered offering to help but she was just too happy at getting to leave that she was halfway out her room before Nathan had finished picking up her things.

"You know, seeing as we'll probably be back fairly soon, I'm sure they'd let you keep some of this around here somewhere." She said with a grin as he looked to have gotten the situation under control without her help.

Nathan shot her a look, but eventually pulled his cell phone from his pocket without dropping anything. "I'm telling you," He said as he checked for any new message from his mom who was supposed to have shown up by now to drive them home. "One more smart remark like that and I'll pay them to keep you in." He warned.

It was an empty threat and they both knew it. "Sure honey."

Nathan sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "You wanna wait up here, or head on down? I'm not sure where exactly my mom plans on parking up, knowing her it could be anywhere."

Haley chuckled as his comment saved her from voicing her own opinion which wasn't far off Nathan's. "Let's just go down, if she doesn't show up soon I'm flagging down a cab." She insisted as she eagerly continued on towards the bank of elevators and pressed the button a few times.

"That won't make it get here any faster."

Haley blinked her eyelashes at her husband. "But it makes me feel like it does, so be nice and just leave me to my delusions, okay?"

Nathan leaned closer, checking her eyes. "You sure no one gave you any drugs?" He asked before grinning at her as she snorted and pressed the call button again.

"No, but next time they better load me up." She replied. For so-called false labour she had been in an incredible amount of pain. "Ah, finally!" She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. "You coming?"

Nathan shook his head but obediently got in and this time ignored the constant button pressing.

It was going to be a long day.

xxxxxxxxx

"You know where this doctor's office is?" Peyton asked as they passed through accident and emergency.

"Is that a trick question?" Brooke asked.

Peyton raised an eyebrow at her best friend as they ventured further into the hospital, walking past nurses and porters wheeling a patient off to some other department.

Brooke smiled at her innocently. "Okay then, well, as far as I was led to believe it was here...in the hospital, if that's any help to you. But really Peyton, you should know this, you drove us."

Peyton rolled her eyes.

Brooke giggled. "Fine, it's an office on the first floor."

"You're a pain Brooke."

"Why thank you!" Brooke chirped back happily as she threaded her arm through Peyton's.

The blonde snorted. "Only you would take that as a compliment." But she smiled at the brunette.

"Which was how you meant it." Brooke quickly answered back.

Peyton gave up knowing she wasn't going to win, and really, she was just pleased at how well Brooke seemed to be taking the hospital visit. It was a clear departure from how miserable she had been as she recovered from her injuries.

Peyton studied the brunette and was convinced after a while that Brooke wasn't faking her current good mood. "You're awful happy for someone about to be faced with a stranger with sharp instruments in their hands."

"Thanks." Brooke replied giving Peyton a wink before continuing with, "I think it's all down to the hot blonde I'm sleeping with."

Peyton bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud as they turned onto another corridor and passed a reception area. "Anyone I know?"

Brooke scoffed and made a face. "You think I want my secret to happiness to get out?" She asked before pulling them to a stop. "I'd be fighting people off you with a stick." She murmured before pouting.

Peyton was a sucker for that doe-eyed look. "Can't have that now can we?" She replied softly, warmed that she obviously hadn't gotten last night or this morning wrong in Brooke's eyes. She stared into those eyes for a moment, forgetting that they were in the middle of a hospital and no longer in the privacy of their apartment. But she wouldn't have cared anyway as she drew closer and spoke from the heart just before she captured those waiting lips with her own, "I love you."

xxxxxxxx

Nathan frowned when Haley stopped in front of him that was until he noticed the pair standing kissing in front of her. He moved to stand next to his wife who was grinning at the pair. "Aww, remember when we kissed like that? Like there wasn't a soul around and we weren't blocking people from leaving?"

Haley slapped the back of her hand against his stomach as Brooke pulled away from Peyton and glanced at them sheepishly. "Quiet you, or need I remind you that's how you got me in this condition in the first place?" She asked lifting an eyebrow at her husband who took a step back from her.

"No darling, I know it's all my fault."

Haley nodded. "Good boy." She replied, smiling at how fun it was that Nathan had come to accept his place so early in their marriage. It bode well for their future, especially now that their son was soon to be given the commanding role in their lives for oh, the next fifteen years or so.

"You have him so well trained Hales, did you use treats or the old fashioned choke collar?" Peyton asked as took in her old boyfriend, his arms full standing obediently behind Haley like a good little puppy. It still amazed the blonde that this was the same guy that used to regularly show up at her house purely for sex, no talking required.

"Why?" Haley asked, her eyes twinkling as she looked at the blonde before eyeing Brooke. "Does Brooke need some pointers?" She asked Peyton with a tilt of her head.

"OH!" Nathan cried out before laughing as Peyton blushed.

Brooke bit her lip and didn't dare to look at Peyton. "Everything okay Hales?" She asked her pregnant friend, if it wasn't for the smiles she would have been more concerned with bumping into the married couple in a hospital.

"Yeah, really, there's no need for you guys to show up now, it was a false alarm." Haley told them.

"False alarm?" Peyton repeated then figured it out. "Oh! You thought you were having the baby!"

Brooke's eye widened in shock as Haley nodded, but then the hurt set in that this was the first she or Peyton were hearing about it. Guess they didn't want us there. She thought sadly.

"Yeah," Nathan snorted. "You guys lucked out when Lucas couldn't get through to you, would have been a wasted night." He said to the pair.

"Lucas?" Brooke whispered quietly enough that only Peyton managed to hear the name pass her lips.

"Ah...yeah, but we had, Brooke has, an appointment here soon, so we thought we might catch you, just to say hi." Peyton said hoping Haley and Nathan couldn't tell she and Brooke had no idea what she was talking about. Lucas hadn't called them at all. "So everything turn out okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Haley replied. "This one just wanted to steal some of the limelight for himself. False alarm." She explained before looking at Brooke with a touch of concern, hoping her appointment wasn't anything too serious, but was reluctant to ask too many questions given how awkward it had been the last time she'd seen the pair. She'd text Peyton later and hopefully find out.

"But at least now we've had a dry run, the real thing shouldn't be so scary." Nathan added.

"Says you." Haley said with a disgusted snort. She was after all the one that was having to go through the pains of giving birth, and she wasn't fooling herself any longer, it was going to be very painful. One day it be worth it, Junior, maybe you can find the cure for cancer? That should about cover it. She thought as she rubbed her hand gently over the movement she could feel coming from her son.

Nathan just sighed next to her, knowing better than to try and give a reply to comments like that.

Peyton looked impressed. "You do have him trained well." She didn't pay attention to his scowl as she placed her hand in the small of Brooke's back, wanting to get her friend away from the pair before it was revealed that they hadn't know Haley had been taken here last night. "But next time I expect results, no middle of the night calls unless you're going to having a screaming, crying bundle of joy in your arms at the end of it."

Nathan gave her a look. "We'll try and remember that."

"Good." Peyton replied then started to ease passed them with Brooke in front of her. "We'll probably see you guys at school later."

Haley nodded then she looked at Brooke. "Not that you need it or anything but good luck with your appointment." She offered her friend recalling the last time she'd seen her friend in here, it wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Thanks." Brooke muttered but her mind wasn't really on what Haley had said and she just let Peyton guide her.

"Bye guys." Nate said, his eyes repeating Haley's wish of good luck.

Peyton smiled as best as could at the pair and shifted her grip on Brooke to her hand and tugged her away from their friends. Inside she was boiling over in anger, she couldn't believe Lucas had been that petty with her, that he'd use Haley as some kind of pawn in his childish behaviour.

She glanced over at Brooke as they slowly made their way over to the elevator. The brunette pressed the button but remained silent. Peyton was sure that wasn't a good sign. Her best friend had acted fairly normal with Nathan and Haley just now, enough so that they hadn't noticed, but Peyton could tell she was hurting by the snub.

They may not be on speaking terms, may no longer be friends at all for that matter, but was it really asking too much for a phone call when their friend thought she had gone into labour?

Apparently it was.

Peyton flinched as the doors in front of her opened with a ding. With a sigh she walked into the lift and pressed the button for the floor Brooke had her appointment on. As she stood back and the doors closed Brooke borrowed into her arms.

"That was rotten." Brooke mumbled against her. "I can't believe he did that."

Peyton just held her tighter. She could believe it. It was such a childish thing to do, and while she could understand Lucas being upset with her, she hated that this was the way he tried to get back at her. It was totally uncalled for but no doubt he'd have a perfectly reasonable excuse for not calling them.

Sooner than she wanted them to, the doors opened again and Peyton had to let Brooke go in order to step out of the elevator. "Come on, let's get this over with, maybe we might have time to head home before going to school."

Brooke sighed, her arm staying around Peyton as she looked around for the right way to go.

Suddenly things didn't seem so bright anymore.

xxxxxxxx

AN/

With the start of the World Cup I was worried I'd have to put this off even longer but what can I say, so far it's sucked! So many hours of my life wasted, grr! But you Yankees did me proud! Showing up the overhyped English team, well done! You have no idea what it's like listening to those commentators go on and on about they'll meet this team in the next round and that team in the semis...unbelievable.

And breathe...

Thanks for reading!

Anyone BUT England :P