When Lucas' phone rang, Desiree's frantic voice on the other end of the line made his world stop. He felt like he was going to cry, though he didn't really know what was going on.

All Lucas heard were the words Peyton, pain, and hospital. Nothing else registered. Nothing else made any sense. None of it made sense, really. He'd just seen her a few hours before, and she was fine. Maybe a little moody, but otherwise fine.

His car took him to the hospital, but he barely remembered the drive. He didn't remember turning the key or pulling into the parking lot. Everything between his house and the emergency room was pretty much a complete blur.

He ran through the sliding doors, just barely waiting for them to open enough to slip through, and hurried to the admissions desk.

"Peyton Scott. My wife. She's here. She's supposed to be here," he said frantically.

"Mr. Scott," the nurse said calmly, hoping to soothe him as she looked down at the papers in front of her. "She's in maternity. Room 542."

"Thank you," he said with a nod before racing off toward the nearest elevator.

He stepped through the metal doors after what felt like the longest elevator ride in history, and saw Desiree in the waiting room.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking down the hall.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything. She just told me to call you," Desiree said worriedly. She pointed to the left of where they were standing, indicating the direction he needed to head. "542."

He offered her a nod as a silent thank you for being there, and rushed towards the room. He stepped inside and saw Peyton laying in a bed, in a hospital gown, with one arm over her head and a monitor hooked up to her index finger. There was an IV of something or other dripping away next to her.

"Luke," she said in relief.

"Peyton, what's going on? Are you OK? Is the baby OK?" he asked as he took her hand in his and kissed her forehead.

"We're both OK," she said, letting her tears slip down her cheeks. "I was so scared. I'm sorry."

She was lucky enough that her own doctor was on call, and hadn't wasted any time in checking that everything was really alright. She had performed a quick ultrasound, careful to ensure that Peyton couldn't see the sex of the baby, as requested, and she'd deemed both mother and baby alright.

He hugged her as best he could with her laying in a hospital bed, but he was just so relieved to hear her say that things were fine. And he wanted to soothe her. He had always hated to see her cry, but this was somehow different, though he wasn't really sure why. This made him want to cry, too.

"Don't say you're sorry," he insisted, brushing her hair back off her forehead.

"The doctor's coming back in a minute. She said something about Braxton Hicks," she explained, looking up at him as the worry started to dissipate from his features.

"OK," he sighed. "OK. We read about that, right? It's normal. It's normal."

"Lucas," she said with a weak laugh. "You better tone this stuff down when the real thing happens."

"Don't joke," he said seriously. "I was...I didn't know what was going on."

"Me neither," she admitted, reaching up to caress his face. The plastic monitor that was on her index finger hit his cheekbone and she watched as he winced. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"Stop it," he insisted, smiling down at her. Leave it to her to be laying in a hospital bed, and worrying about him. "Are you sure you're OK? I mean, what does this mean?"

Just then, Dr. Heymans walked through the door to see the couple before her. She had a chart in her hands and a smile on her face, and Lucas took that as a good sign.

"Mr. Scott, hi," she greeted. "How many traffic violations did you make on the way over?"

He loved their doctor and her ability to put everyone at ease. She wouldn't have made jokes if there was something to worry about.

"More than you want to know," he admitted with a grin.

"Well, everything looks OK here," she said, opening the chart once again. "Heartbeats are normal and development is fine."

"Thank God," Lucas sighed, stroking Peyton's knuckles with his thumb.

"But your blood pressure is just a little bit high, and you shouldn't be experiencing Braxton Hicks this late in the game, so that's a bit of a worry. It's most likely stress related, in addition to your body getting ready to have this baby," Dr. Heymans explained. "But we don't want that happening for at least another month, if we can help it."

"So what does this mean?" Peyton asked.

"This means that you are going on bed rest, and before you argue..."

"She won't be arguing," Lucas interrupted, looking between his wife and the doctor. "Bed rest it is."

"Well, good," Dr. Heymans said with a smile.

"So what exactly can I do? And how long do I have to be stuck in bed?" Peyton asked.

"Well, you can start by having a positive attitude," she said, making both herself and Lucas laugh. "I'll give you some information on what activities you can and can't do. And I'm putting you on bed rest indefinitely."

"If that's what's necessary, then it won't be a problem," Peyton conceded. "Lucas barely lets me do anything anyway."

She smirked up at him and he just grinned sheepishly as he shook his head.

"Well, no working. I met your coworker in the waiting room, and I'm sure she'll be more than happy to take on a heavier load," Dr. Heymans explained.

They spent another little while talking about the restrictions Peyton would be put under, and she didn't complain. If she had to sacrifice her every day life to keep her baby safe and healthy, then there was really no question about it. She knew what she had to do.

She got dressed once again, and Lucas went out into the waiting area to fill Desiree in as they waited for Peyton.

"Des," he called, making her shoot up out of her seat. "Everything's fine. Just stress. But she's on bed rest now."

"Thank God everything's OK," she sighed, placing her hand over her heart.

"Yeah," Lucas laughed. "I'm sure you'll be getting phone calls with her complaining about it. She can't work or anything."

"That's fine," Desiree said with a smile. "I'm totally prepared to take over for her while she's off anyway. Just came a little sooner than expected, right?"

"Exactly," Lucas agreed. "And thanks for bringing her in. I'm sure that was pretty scary."

"Oh my God. Horrible," she admitted hurriedly. "I was scared, but I didn't want her to be scared, so I was trying not to freak out, but you know her. If you're being sweet, she thinks you're patronizing her."

"Oh, I know," he laughed. "I'm married to her."

"Talking about me?" Peyton asked with a smirk as she exited the room.

"Nope," Lucas lied, smiling at her sweetly as he took her bag from her. "Come on. Let's get you home."

They walked out into the parking lot slowly, as Lucas had explained he wasn't going to take any risks, and they thanked Desiree again for her help.

"Look, I'll call you tomorrow about the..." Peyton started.

"No," Desiree said with finality. "No working. No calling me for anything other than quickly checking in. You rest and keep that little girl in there for as long as you can."

"I think it's a girl, too!" Lucas exclaimed with a wide smile.

"It's totally a girl. Just the way she's carrying, and her mood swings and..."

"OK, you can be fired, and you can be divorced, so if you don't leave, and you don't help me into the car, I'll never speak to either of you again," Peyton said with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk, pointing at each of them at the appropriate times. "And if either of you says anything about mood swings right now, you won't live to regret it."

"Alright, preggo, I'll call you if I need anything. And I'll stop by and see you soon," Desiree said before saying goodbye to Lucas and making her way to her own car.

Lucas was quiet as soon as they got into the car, and he was gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were going white. After ten minutes of silence, she couldn't take it any more.

"Luke," Peyton said softly. She didn't need to say anything more, and he'd know she was asking him to tell her what he was thinking.

"That was the scariest call I've ever gotten," he admitted solemnly. "I thought I could..."

"Lucas, everything is fine," she assured him. "I mean, other than the whole bed rest thing, but I think that just sounds worse than it'll actually be."

"I was just worried that something horrible was going to happen. I mean, with my mom's pregnancy with Lily and..."

"Hey," she said softly. "We're fine. We're both fine."

"I know. I just...I can't lose you," he whispered as the pulled into the driveway of their house.

"You're not going to," she insisted adamantly. "I'm going to be right there, in that bed, for the next like, 6 weeks."

"Peyton..." He knew she was trying to lighten the mood by joking, but he wasn't sure that was what he needed.

"I know," she interrupted. "But I need you to stop worrying, because I hate seeing you like this."

"I'm never going to stop worrying about you," he said with a smile before getting out of the car and running to the other side to open her door for her.

"Well, now you can pretty much keep an eye on me day and night," she muttered under her breath.

"Where's that positive attitude?" he asked with a laugh.

"That was an act for the doctor. I'm not used to just sitting around."

He knew she was right, and that the next 6 weeks would probably test both of their patience, but there was no doubt that they both knew it was necessary and would try to make the best of it.

"Well, we'll just have people come and keep you company. Then you won't get sick of me, and I won't drive you crazy," he said, smirking as he pushed open the door to their bedroom and ushered her inside.

"I could never get sick of you," she insisted, smiling sweetly as she pulled a pair of pajama pants and an old band tee shirt from a drawer. He leaned in to kiss her and then started out of the room.

"What do you want for dinner?" he asked.

"Pizza! And those breadstick things I love," she called excitedly. She heard him laugh at the familiar request, but he couldn't complain because she was there and she was fine, and he'd give her anything she needed to keep her that way.

She pulled on her pajamas and laid back in bed, reaching for the television remote and settling in. She got comfortable quickly, and started to think, when a new episode of her favourite show came on, that maybe bed rest wouldn't be so bad after all.

----

After a week, Peyton was completely miserable. She had cabin fever and she was cranky and uncomfortable, and all she wanted to do was get up and move. But she couldn't. Aside from light activity and a slow walk around her own house a few times a day, she was confined to the bedroom, watching lame daytime television and vapid interviews of Hollywood stars she couldn't care less about.

She'd sketched, she'd worked in secret, coming up with a few ideas for marketing campaigns and tour posters. She'd alphabetized Karen's old recipe box - the one they barely ever used. She'd read two full novels. She'd listened to all her favourite albums countless times.

And it had only been a week.

Lucas was at practice and he had left a pitcher of ice water next to the bed, along with some light snacks in case she got hungry while he was out. He'd really been very sweet, and she appreciated everything he was doing, but she was still going absolutely insane.

So she started making a list, a rider. It was a list of all the things she needed, or wanted, that would help her mind and body as she was cooped up in their bed. She wanted new pillows, and lots of them. Her back would cramp and her legs would cramp, and so she wanted supportive pillows. She made a list of the books she wanted to read, but they didn't own. The same went for albums and DVDs.

She was just finishing her list of demands when there was a knock at the door. She could see the shadow well enough to know that it was Nathan, and when she looked at the clock, she wondered where Lucas was and why Nathan was there instead of her husband. He walked in without being called, because that's what he always did.

"Hey Sawyer," he greeted happily, sitting down on the be next to her. "I brought cinnamon buns."

"Looove youuuu," she sang, smiling as he handed her the sticky treat. "Extra icing! You're the best."

He laughed as he watched her take a bite, and he wondered what Lucas had been talking about. She seemed to be in a good mood to him.

"So how's it going?" he asked.

"Better, now that I have something so tasty," she admitted.

"And cinnamon buns, too," he teased, making her roll her eyes at him. "Luke got called in to a meeting with the athletic department. I thought I'd stop by and hang out."

"Alright. When's he coming home?" she asked with a mouthful of food.

"Not till 2:00-ish. Why? Miss him?" he asked, smiling as he moved and settled onto the bed next to her, in 'Lucas' Spot' and poured them each a glass of water.

"He's driving me crazy," she admitted hurriedly, making Nathan laugh. "I mean...I love him, but seriously? He's obsessive."

"Not surprising at all," he said. "He was already pretty protective. He always has been."

"I know. But I don't need him to like, straighten out my tee shirt for me, you know?" she asked with a laugh.

"Speaking of...Tar Heels?" he asked incredulously, glancing down at the shirt she was wearing. Everyone who knew Nathan knew that hew as a Duke man.

It was Lucas' favourite old item of clothing, but she'd quickly stolen it and adopted it as her own, even before she was pregnant. And he wouldn't complain because she looked great in it, and the way it sat on her stomach just gave him hope that his baby would grow up with great taste in basketball teams.

"It's Luke's," she shrugged.

"Well, I have something else for you," he said, smiling as he reached into his bag and produced a tee shirt.

He'd seen her a few days prior, and she'd been wearing an old Ravens tee shirt - one that he recognized was his and promptly made fun of her for still having. He'd threatened to tell Lucas who that shirt had originally belonged to, but she said that he already knew.

He tossed the new blue fabric towards her, and she wiped her hands and held it up. The front had the Ravens logo, and the back had her (their) last name and the number 22.

"Nathan!" she cried. "This is awesome!"

"Haley and Brooke have them, too. I got 'em made special just for you girls," he said proudly.

"Wow. We all married Ravens," she said, as though it had just hit her.

"Lucky girls," Nathan said, wiggling his eyebrows. She swatted his arm as he laughed. "I also found a bunch of old game footage from senior year. Thought you might want to take a trip down memory lane with me."

"As long as we don't stumble upon another sex tape, I think that sounds great," she teased, elbowing him as he winced at the mention of his indiscretion.

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon laughing, and Nathan would rewind all the plays he dubbed the best, and point out all the intricacies. She'd point out how sexy Lucas looked in his uniform, making Nathan groan his disgust. Then they'd catch glimpses of those three cheerleaders on the sidelines, and they'd laugh at their 'spirit' and the things that had and hadn't changed in the years since high school.

Lucas walked through the door that afternoon to see Peyton laying on her side with her head resting on Nathan's thigh as she slept peacefully. He still had the remote in his hand and was going over plays and writing down a few that he thought they should try with their team. Lucas could only laugh at the sight. It never ceased to amaze him how close-knit their group of friends was.

"Hey," Nathan said softly. "She's been out for about an hour."

"How's your leg?" Lucas asked with a grin.

"Killing me," Nathan admitted.

"You could have moved her," the blonde said, sitting on the bed next to his wife and brushing the hair from her face.

"Ah, it's alright," Nathan said, smiling down at her. "But I should get home and do some stuff before Haley gets home from work."

He lifted Peyton's head gently and Lucas slipped a pillow beneath it, and they shared a smile at their teamwork. Nathan gathered his things and slipped out the door after saying goodbye.

Lucas' phone was on vibrate, but when it went off, Peyton stirred and wiped her eyes, smiling sleepily when she saw him sitting on the bed.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, ignoring the call.

"It's OK," she insisted, sitting up and moving back to rest against the pillows. "Where's Nathan?"

"He just left. You slept through our entire conversation and being moved, but you woke up when my cell rang?" he asked with a smirk. She could only shrug in response. He picked up the notepad that was sitting on the bedside table and began reading. "What's this?"

"A list of demands," she explained. "Things to keep me occupied and content."

"Individually wrapped peanut butter cups? Lindt truffles?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Back to the Future I, II, and III?"

"Yes. There's a list of albums and DVDs I'd like. And extra pillows, two kinds of ice cream, Granny Smith apples..." she began, peering over his arm. "Oh, and that really good vanilla yogurt I love."

"And if I don't get all this stuff?" he asked with a smirk.

"Are you really sure you want to risk that?" she threatened. He just laughed and leaned in to kiss her.

"I'll go after work tomorrow," he promised, getting up from his spot.

"Hey Luke," she called sweetly as he stepped into the hall. "You think I could...?"

"You're not going anywhere," he shouted insistently. "Get comfortable, blondie."

"You're mean!" she yelled.

"Only 'cause I love ya!"

She crossed her arms and pouted, and felt a little kick against her arms, and had to smile.

"I know, baby," she said, rubbing her stomach. "I want to move, too. But daddy's being a drill sergeant and making me stay here. I guess it's for the best, since you need to stay in there. So you better get comfortable, too, OK? Because I need you to be healthy when you come meet us."

She leaned back on the pillows and took a sip of water before talking again.

"You know, your daddy wants you to have green eyes like mommy, but I think you should have blue eyes like him. Trust me, the girls love them. I bet you're going to be just like him, your dad. You'll probably come out holding a book or a basketball."

"Peyt," Lucas said softly from the doorway, smiling the way he always did when he was feeling sentimental.

"Oh," she said sheepishly, feeling the blush creep to her cheeks. "Yeah...we um...we talk sometimes."

"You're adorable," he whispered, walking towards her and sitting next to her on the bed. He leaned in to kiss her, then her belly, making her smile. "If it's a girl, I'm starting to think she better not have your eyes."

"What?" she cried indignantly. "Why?"

"Because those things are like, magnets to all men," he said with a laugh. "I'm serious. I don't want her with that weapon in her arsenal."

"Whatever, as if piercing blue eyes like her daddy would be any better," she scoffed. "You really want a blonde haired, blue eyed girl to look after in about 16 years?"

"Oh God," he said, running his hand over his face. "We really didn't think this through."

"Seriously, Luke, you're going to be even more protective over her than you are over me, and that is a scary thought," Peyton laughed.

"I think this is the first time I've really, really wished it was a boy," he said with a smirk.

"You hear that, baby?" Peyton asked excitedly, looking down at her stomach. "Daddy wants you to be a boy, too! I told you mommy always wins."

Lucas just laughed again and leaned in to kiss her once more. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it if he were any luckier.

"Now," she said, looking at Lucas again, "go find me some chocolate and you'll really make me the happiest woman in the world."

"Chocolate?" he teased, standing from his place. "That's all it takes?"

"Pretty much," she shrugged, watching as he shook his head while he walked out of the room. He came back in moments later with a bar of her favourite dark chocolate in his hand, and she smiled.

She took it from him and saw him sit down at his desk and open his laptop. She took a bite and let the chocolate melt in her mouth, and let out a satisfied moan.

"Happy?" he asked with a smile.

"You, and him, and chocolate," she said sincerely, resting her hand over her stomach once more. "That's all it takes."

----

A/N: OK, now I feel like a jerk for telling you to review, since so many of you took the time to do it. I know, I'm a weirdo. But thank you all so much for letting me know that you are still reading! I really do appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts. And yes, I did post this chapter so quickly because I felt guilty for acting like a bit of a baby!