Another week of bed rest, and Peyton had come to terms with laying around and doing nothing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She'd had visitors and people come stay with her for a couple hours each day, just to break up the time. She was convinced that Lucas had set up a schedule among their friends, because, suspiciously, someone was always there in time to prepare her lunch if Lucas wasn't home.

Andy had come one day, and the two of them talked business and strategy for the label, though they both promised never to tell Lucas they'd talked about work.

Karen had come by and the older woman told Peyton all about what to expect during the first months of motherhood; what things she'd want to freak out about but weren't a big deal. Lily had spent another day watching Disney movies and talking to the baby.

Haley had stopped by, only to chat for about 20 minutes before both women fell asleep, making their husbands laugh when they walked into the room and found the two very pregnant women curled up in bed.

Mouth, Junk, and Fergie brought photographs of their group when they were all young. The three of them, plus Lucas, Haley, and Skills doing various childish activities, captured in photos that made Peyton laugh.

It was a Friday morning and Peyton was sitting atop the covers in just a tank top and shorts, reading the newspaper. She'd taken to doing the crossword, and Lucas would have made fun of her for it, but she got so excited the first time that she completed one on her own, that he just didn't have the heart to.

"Peyton," Brooke said with a sniffle as she stepped into the room. She knew that Lucas was at the school, so that's why she'd chosen that time to show up.

"Brooke what's wrong?" Peyton asked worriedly upon seeing those tear stained cheeks. She put down her pen and the paper and pat the space next to her, indicating to her friend to sit down.

"I'm just..." Brooke started as she sat. "I'm a bad wife!"

"What?" Peyton asked, doing her best not to laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't...I'm so bad at this," Brooke blubbered, letting Peyton take her hand.

"Why do you think you're a bad wife?" Peyton asked calmly. She knew Brooke, and this was clearly a vast overreaction, but she didn't want to be patronizing or insensitive to her feelings.

"I...Last night I wanted to make dinner, so I made something that I thought was really nice," she managed, calming just enough to talk. "But the dessert I made had almonds in it."

"OK?" Peyton said sweetly, encouraging Brooke to continue. She reached for a tissue and handed it over.

"He's allergic to almonds. I didn't know that! I'm his wife and I didn't know that!" Brooke exclaimed. "And then this morning, I was getting ready and he said he'd never seen these jeans before."

"OK...so he's observant," Peyton said. She really didn't understand what Brooke was so worked up over.

"I wear these jeans all the time! At least once every couple weeks! And he's never seen them," Brooke cried, a new batch of tears working their way down her cheeks. "So then I just start thinking, what if we rushed into this!? What if this is all too soon? What if I am just really bad at this no matter what?"

"OK," Peyton said, calmly smiling before taking a deep breath. "You know when I moved in here, I had no idea that Lucas has different shelves for different types of literature?"

"That's ridiculous!" Brooke said, letting out a laugh as she dabbed her eyes.

"I know. He has one for American authors, another for European, and another for...something else that I still don't really understand," Peyton explained. "I still learn things about Lucas all the time that I had no clue about. But you know what? I think that's the best part of being married. That element of surprise. How boring would it be if you never learned anything more about Skills than what you know right now?"

"So you don't think we rushed into this?" Brooke asked quietly.

"Brooke, you realize that you are the ones who did this the right way? Nathan and Haley dated for like, what, 4 months? And then got married at 17. Lucas and I...people like to say we're epic or whatever, but really we're just messed up," she said, eliciting another laugh from her best friend. "You and Skills were friends, then you dated, then you got married. That's how it's supposed to go."

"But what if he expects me to be just...good at this right away?"

"You think he knows what he's doing?" Peyton asked, laughing as she raised her eyebrow. "Men are even worse at this than women are! Luke and I lived together for nearly a year, and it was still weird after we got married."

"So what do I do?" the brunette asked, looking down at her hands.

"Talk to Skills! He's probably just as freaked out as you are. Maybe he's talking to Luke right now, wondering how he's never seen these jeans before," Peyton said, smiling and watching as Brooke's worry dissipated.

"Ugh," Brooke groaned. "Growing up sucks!"

"Hey, you don't have to remind me," Peyton laughed. "Try being pregnant and confined to a bed for weeks on end."

"I'd rather not right now, thanks," Brooke said, letting herself really laugh for the first time that day. "I'm actually kind of surprised you haven't made a break for it yet."

"Oh God, no chance," Peyton insisted, resting her hand over her stomach. "Not with this little guy in here."

"Aren't you freaking out?" Brooke asked as she settled back onto the pillows next to Peyton.

"Not really," the blonde said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm kind of past the freak out stage. I'm now in the 'I can't wait to hold him' stage."

"Still think it's a boy?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah. I mean, not that it really matters," she said with a shrug. "But if it is, I get bragging rights over Luke."

"And it is all about bragging rights," Brooke joked, flashing a dimpled smile.

"Of course," Peyton laughed.

"Alright. Thank you for talking me down off the ledge," Brooke said half-jokingly. "I brought DVDs."

"Thank God! I'm going crazy," Peyton insisted. "Wait, don't you have work?"

"No," Brooke said with a smirk. "I have Grey's Anatomy."

The two best friends sat for the rest of the day, talking and laughing, watching television and eating healthy snacks. Lucas and Peyton hadn't told anyone the names they'd chosen, but Peyton told Brooke, after making her promise not to say anything to anyone. Brooke had held back a tear and said the names were perfect for baby Scott, whether it was a boy or a girl.

Peyton's cell rang halfway through the day, and she saw that it was Haley. After a short conversation that Brooke couldn't really catch the gist of, Peyton hung up and started laughing.

"What?" the brunette asked.

"Guess who else is on bed rest?" Peyton managed through her giggles.

"Oh God," Brooke groaned, running her hand over her face.

"I know. And she was all 'don't worry, Peyton', 'it won't be so bad, Peyton'. Let's see how she likes it!" Peyton said with a smile. Brooke could only laugh at the statement.

"Wouldn't it be insane if you had the babies on the same day?" Brooke asked excitedly. "I mean, don't twins usually come early?"

Peyton just looked at Brooke and they both laughed, knowing that was a very real possibility. They talked some more about the babies, wondering if they'd all be boys or not. Haley and Nathan hadn't wanted to know the sexes of theirs either, so it would all be a surprise when the time came. There was a very real chance that Tree Hill would soon be home to three more Scott boys. Brooke muttered that that was a scary thought, and they laughed again before turning their attention back to the television.

----

Lucas had an end-of-the-year athletic department dinner that evening, and he'd insisted that he didn't have to go, but Peyton assured him that it was fine, and that she was just upset that she couldn't go with him.

She spent her evening on the phone with Haley, who was also home while Nathan was at that same dinner, and the two of them watched the same show, chatting about what was happening on the screen and laughing that this was now how they had to 'hang out'.

When Lucas stepped through the door to their bedroom, he was shocked and scared to see that Peyton wasn't in their bed. He frantically loosened his tie and dropped his suit jacket on the bed before walking quickly into the kitchen and checking the living room.

He walked to the nursery to see her sitting in the mostly-darkness, created by the setting sun and the absence of a light turned on. She was rocking in the wooden rocking chair that her father had given them, with her eyes closed and her head back. Her hands were resting on her stomach, and Lucas took a moment to just watch her. She was obviously lost in thought and hadn't heard him enter the house. He was actually thankful that he hadn't called out her name, knowing that if he had, he wouldn't be able to see her in that moment just as she was.

"Hey," he called softly, making her open her eyes and smile at the sound of his voice.

As much as he'd enjoyed watching her, she was enjoying watching him. He was leaning against the door frame like he always did, with his arms crossed and his head tilted. His tie was loose and the top button of his blue shirt was undone. In quiet moments like that one, he never failed to remind her just how sexy he was.

"Hi," she replied. "How was it?"

"Good," he shrugged. "Pretty much the same as every year."

"I know I'm not supposed to move," she said, noticing that he was about to say something more. "But I walked slowly, and I have just been sitting."

"I was actually going to say you look like a natural," he said softly, smiling as he spoke.

"Just need the baby, right?" she asked with a grin. "So...you wanna be a doll and help me up?" He threw his head back and let out a quiet laugh before stepping into the room. "I didn't really think this through."

"Well, I guess that just means you're lucky to have me," he said, smirking as he reached for her hand.

He pulled her up, and draped his arm over her shoulder as they walked slowly back to the bedroom. She got back in to bed immediately, and watched him as he shed his clothes and walked to the kitchen, returning minutes later with a couple glasses of water.

"What?" he asked, noticing her staring.

"Nothing!" she said quickly, smiling when he raised an eyebrow. "You're just kind of cute, that's all."

"Cute? Thanks," he scoffed playfully, pulling back the sheets and getting in to bed.

He reached for his book, and she watched him settle back into his place. She saw his eyes shift over to her, just to let her know that he was aware that she was still watching him, and she heaved a sigh and turned back to her own book.

This had become their routine. Where they used to read on the sofa, or watch television, then now lay in bed together most of the time. He didn't want to leave her alone, so he'd crawl beneath the covers and 'suffer' with her. If you asked him, however, laying in bed with his wife was far from suffering.

"You know what name I kind of love?" she asked with a smile, resting her book on her lap.

"What's that?" he responded, eyes still fixed on his book.

"Isabelle," she stated, turning to look at him.

"It's nice," he said, smiling as he turned to her. "How come you never mentioned it before?"

"Brooke brought over the first season of Grey's Anatomy and we watched like, six episodes today," she explained withe a laugh, making him do the same. "Isabelle Bailey Scott."

"Isn't there a Dr. Bailey on that show?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Oh. Right," she laughed. "What about Isabelle Rose Scott?"

He thought for a moment, saying the name in his head a few times, and then he leaned over to kiss her cheek, and she got the impression that he liked it.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. "Izzie Scott. Are you gonna make me choose between that and Sophia?"

"No! We won't have to," she said with a grin, knowing that he'd deduce from that, that she was telling him for thousandth time that it was a boy. "Brooke and I were talking today about how crazy it'd be if all these babies were boys."

"Honestly, that's a scary thought," he said seriously.

"That's what Brooke said!" Peyton laughed. "She said something about them being heartbreakers."

"That's not fair!" Lucas cried indignantly.

"Lucas..." she said, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.

"OK, but it wasn't intentional!" he insisted seriously.

"Maybe so, but think about it. Dan, you, Nathan..."

"Hey, don't clump me and Nathan in with Dan," he warned, half-teasingly.

"I'm just saying. Scott men are definitely heartbreakers," she said with a shrug. "You reel us in with your charm and your blue eyes and your...whatever it is about Scotts that makes you so irresistible."

"We can't help it if we're awesome, babe," he said, smirking.

"That! Right there!" she cried, pointing at him. "That smirk! I think this is the first time I've really wanted it to be a girl." He laughed when she echoed his words from the week before. "If my eyes are a weapon, your damn smirk is a weapon, too."

"I do love those eyes, though," he said seriously, taking her hand in his.

"And I love that smirk," she admitted. "But you do know how to use it."

"It's a gift," he shrugged.

She swatted his arm lightly and they each went back to their respective books. Moments later, she heard him whisper 'Isabelle Rose Scott' as quietly as he could, and when she glanced at him, and he knew he'd been caught, his cheeks went pink, and she just had to lean in and kiss him. The baby kicked, and she wondered, really wondered, for the first time if just maybe it was a girl.

----

Another two weeks passed, and Peyton had been on bed rest for a full month. Calls to and from the doctor had let her know that she was still doing alright, she just needed to keep doing what she was doing, which, unfortunately, was very little.

The restlessness came and went. She catalogued her entire CD and record collection by genre, year, and then cross-referenced them by most listened-to. To say she was running out of things to do would be an understatement.

Desiree had stopped by a couple times so they could listen to demos, and Lucas had 'allowed' it, since it was not really an activity, and if he'd said no she probably would have yelled at him. She, of course, didn't need his permission, but she valued his opinion anyway.

Nathan and Jamie traded places with Lucas one Saturday. The boys came over to spend the day with Peyton while Lucas went to spend the day with his best friend, who, from the sounds of it, was handling the bed rest even worse than Peyton was.

Nathan explained that Haley was just really uncomfortable and for someone who didn't really ever sit still, she was having a hard time doing nothing. Peyton called her the next day and told her about her list of demands, and Haley had laughed and called her friend a genius. Nathan burst through the door and sarcastically thanked her for that.

Half way through the fifth week, Peyton was sitting in bed, channel surfing while Lucas worked away in the kitchen, typing something or another. She had just settled on a repeat of some sitcom from the 80's when she felt something in her stomach that she knew from all the books she'd read wasn't just a muscle spasm. She had felt something similar a few times that morning, but this was stronger. The pressure built and began making her more and more uncomfortable, and she got nervous and excited and terrified all at the same time.

"Luke!" she shouted urgently. "Lucas!"

"Just a sec," he said nonchalantly from the kitchen.

And she wondered then if that was the reason why he'd asked her so many times not to call his name like that. It was like the boy who cried 'wolf'. But that thought only lasted a moment, and then she remembered what she needed him for.

"Lucas!" she called again.

"OK, OK. I'm coming. Jeez, what's the big deal?" he asked, sauntering casually into the room.

"The big deal, is that I'm having this baby and I thought you might like to be informed!" she said with a smile, despite the obvious panic she was feeling.

He just stood for a moment, frozen in place in response to what she'd just said. Having the baby. Now. Right now. He could vaguely see her moving off the bed and grabbing the bag that had been packed and waiting on the dresser for when this moment arrived.

"Lucas!" she said again, laughing at his bewildered look. She was standing at the door with a hand resting on her stomach. "Am I gonna have to drive myself to the freaking hospital, or would you care to join me?"

He grabbed his keys and phone off the desk and walked to her as quickly as he could. He took her hand and smiled at her, and when she smiled back, he noticed there were tears in her eyes, too.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked with a smirk.

"I don't really have a choice," he said softly, watching as her smile grew. "Peyton, I love you."

"I love you, too, but we really need to go," she said with a laugh.

He moved his hand to her cheek, and leaned in to kissed her gently before ushering her out the door and helping her down the stairs.

They were having a baby.