"What about this?" Haley held up a small pink dress.
"It's cute, but I don't know if it's a girl or a boy," Brooke smiled.
"Yeah I guess your son would look a little funny in a dress. And somehow I don't really think David would approve." Brooke slid a few hangers along the rack.
"Speaking of David," Peyton spoke up as she held a onesie in front of her. "How is he?"
"He's good," Brooke spoke vaguely.
"Really because I haven't seen him around."
"Well that's because he doesn't live here," Brooke pointed out.
"But it's his baby!" Peyton shouted.
"David's busy. He's got work to do and he doesn't have time to fly out to Tree Hill. Plus he knows I'm being taken care of."
"Yeah Lucas waits on you hand and foot," Haley said with a smile.
A 'hello' look on her face, Brooke waved a hand at her stomach. "I can't see my feet, I deserve to be helped out a little bit."
"He tucks you in at night, if you fall asleep on the couch he carries you to your bed," Haley pointed out.
"Which is no small feat now," Peyton joked as she indicated Brooke's stomach.
"I'm due in two weeks!" Brooke shouted exasperated.
Haley rolled her eyes and continued. "He drives you to every doctor's appointment and holds your hand the whole time."
"You've had those appointments they can be scary without someone with you," Brooke defended herself.
"I could have come with you," Haley offered.
"Or me," Peyton pointed out.
"Yes but you don't get that uncomfortable look on your face every time the word cervix is said."
With a faraway look in her eyes, Haley smiled. "Oh yeah I remember that face. Nathan's was quite amusing."
"Jake didn't make the face, he just looked down and pretended like he wasn't hearing it." The three girls laughed.
"See you guys had people there."
"Yeah our husbands," Haley said pointedly.
"Well my husband isn't here, so I need a stand in."
"Your high school sweetheart? I'll bet David loves it," Peyton smiled.
Setting the baby shirt down that she had just picked up, Brooke sighed. "David knows that I'm living with Lucas. He understands we are friends and nothing more." Brooke strolled across the section, her friends following behind.
"Yeah but does Lucas understand that?" Haley asked, her eyes averted to the floor.
"Or you for that matter?" Peyton smiled.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Brooke whirled to face Peyton. For some reason she felt like she was being attacked and she didn't like it. What business was it of theirs her relationship with Lucas and David.
"It means that the two of you are acting a little less buddy buddy and a little more married couple," Peyton sighed. Brooke's stomach gave a churn. Was that really how it appeared to everyone? And was she disappointed about it? For some reason she found herself a little happy about the mistake.
"We should probably get going. It's not like I can buy anything anyways. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl." With that Brooke strode towards the exit, leaving her two confused best friends in her wake.
The key clicked in the lock as Brooke opened Lucas's front door. Or kind of her front door now that she had been living here for about five months. She waddled over the entrance and turned to shut the door behind her. "You're back." The voice made Brooke jump.
"Jeez don't scare me like that." Brooke closed the door. "You might make me give birth right here in the front entrance."
"I'd call the midwife." Brooke smiled, that was Lucas always willing to help no matter what it meant for him. He truly took good care of her. She couldn't ask for more. Except maybe her husband, the father of the child she was carrying, to actually give a damn about what she was doing. As much as she tried to play it off it hurt her a little that David wasn't there for her. And it also hurt her that he was completely ok with her shacking up with another guy. "So you didn't buy anything," Lucas pulled Brooke out of internal anger.
"No I just wasn't in the shopping mood."
"Brooke Davis, not in the shopping mood? I never thought I'd live to see the day."
"Haha. What's that smell?" She sniffed the air.
"Dinner."
"You made dinner? For me?" Brooke was touched.
"Well we had to eat." Brooke flushed, a bit embarrassed at her assumption. Of course he just made dinner because the two needed to eat. It was nothing more. The two walked into the kitchen where Lucas began to fuss around the stove. Brooke plopped down in a stool and picked up a carrot, biting into it with a crack.
"So Lucas?"
"Yeah?" Lucas called a bit distracted.
"Can I ask you a question?" Lucas mumbled his consent. "Why aren't you at your publishers?"
"What?" Brooke traced her finger on the counter.
"Your publishers? I know you had a meeting with them today. But clearly you didn't go; otherwise you wouldn't have time make all of this." Brooke indicated the food surrounding her on the counter.
"Well I knew that when you got home from your day of shopping you would need sustenance. So here it is." Brooke shifted a bit uncomfortably. It seemed that he was going a bit far. She didn't want to put him out only to leave him when the baby came along.
"You're such a good provider," Brooke smiled feeling the ease and comfort she had with Lucas. Her thoughts drifted back to Peyton's comment from earlier. Now Brooke understood the married couple reference. But for some reason Brooke wasn't completely opposed to it. Right there Brooke promised herself that she would accept the façade. She would play the part of wife to Lucas and be ok with everyone assuming that her child was Lucas's. At least until the baby came. When the baby came she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to act. When the baby came she would have to go back to LA. No not have to, be able to. She would be able to go back to her husband and be able to run her company again. But if it was such a privilege to be going to LA then why did it hurt her so much to leave? She was going home, she should be happy about that. As she gazed at Lucas carving the pot roast, her heart gave a thud that told her she was home. Tree Hill felt more like home to her than LA ever had. She knew for a fact that it didn't feel like home because of the warm and fuzzy home that she had here. She had never had that. But it felt like home because of the people here. Her two best friends and their husbands who Brooke had grown to love more and more. Her five beautiful godchildren. And this boy standing in front of her. This boy who would do anything for her. Who had already done so much for her. Who loved Brooke with his whole heart and who Brooke, despite her attempts to make everyone believe otherwise, loved him back.
"So you ready for dinner?" Lucas smiled at her. As Brooke's heart gave the familiar thudding she smiled back and followed him to the dining room.
"Lucas," Brooke whispered to Lucas's sleeping form. "Lucas," Brooke repeated as she shook Lucas's arm. With a groan Lucas rolled over.
"What time is it?" he mumbled.
"Four thirty in the morning."
"And back to sleep," Lucas grumbled and pulled the sheets over his head.
"Lucas get up!" Brooke continued to shake him.
"Brooke I love having you here and let me tell you your constant cravings are a real kick in the pants, but your pickle dipped in chocolate yearning can wait until the sun comes up. Now go back to sleep."
"Lucas my water broke," an annoyed Brooke explained. Lucas sat straight up and swung his legs over the side of his bed.
"I'll get my shoes." There was not a hint of sleepiness in his voice.
Two young couples stood in the waiting room. Three young girls lay sleeping on chairs, their fathers sitting near them. The young women paced across the room, each carrying a baby. Inside a room nearby shouting could be heard.
"Ok this is a really big pain and I would like it to go away," Brooke yelled as the nurses bustled around.
"Squeeze my hand," Lucas smiled as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead. Immediately, Lucas felt the pain Brooke was feeling as she crushed his fingers in her vice like grip.
"Ok Brooke you're fully dilated so we're going to need you to push now," the doctor informed Brooke.
"No. I changed my mind. I'm not ready to be a mother. I can't do it." Tears began to fall from Brooke's eyes.
"Hey hey Pretty Girl, look at me." Lucas tilted Brooke's chin so that she was looking into his deep blue eyes. Despite the pain Brooke's heart gave a jolt at the sound of his old nickname for her. "You can do this. You're ready. You're going to be a great mom. And you'll have lots of help. Me and Haley and Peyton."
"If I ever talk to those two again," Brooke grumbled. "They didn't mention anything about how big the pain was." Lucas laughed, that was the old Brooke. Putting his other hand over hers, Lucas leaned towards her so that she could feel his breath in her ear.
"You can do it Pretty Girl." With a smile on her face and her heart pounding uncontrollably, Brooke did it.
"Congratulations it's a boy," the doctor smiled as he held up the baby. Her son. "Would dad like to cut the cord?" he offered Lucas.
"I'm not," Lucas began to protest. "Yeah I would, if you don't mind." He turned to Brooke. Sniffling a bit, Brooke nodded. Lucas cut the cord and then the baby was handed to him. "Welcome to the world little one," Lucas smiled down at the baby. "Now how about you see you're beautiful mother?" Brooke reached out and the baby was placed in her arms.
"Hey precious. Hello Miles Bryant Davis." Brooke stroked her son's arm as he reached out and grabbed her finger.
"Davis?" Lucas asked.
"Huh?"
"His last name. He's going to be a Davis not take David's last name?" Lucas's heart jumped with hope.
Suddenly embarrassed and feeling put on the spot, Brooke stared down at her son. "Well I kept my last name and I carried him inside me so I think that he should have mine too." Lucas smiled. For an unknown reason this small thing made him very excited.
"Yeah it's the right thing." Lucas smiled again. Green eyes met blue as Brooke looked up at Lucas.
"Do you want to hold him?" she offered. Beaming like an idiot, Lucas nodded. Carefully Miles was placed into Lucas's arms. Immediately Miles gave a yawn and settled down. "I think he likes you," Brooke grinned. Again Brooke and Lucas made eye contact.
"Brooke I need to ask you something. Do you think…" But Lucas didn't get to finish his sentence.
"What's up slut?" Brooke turned as Rachel waltzed into the room.
"Rachel! What are you doing here?" Rachel walked over and hugged Brooke.
"Did you think I'd miss the opportunity to be the first to meet baby slut? Though apparently I'm not the first," Rachel mumbled as she looked at Lucas bouncing the baby up and down. "Hey Luke." Lucas glanced up at Rachel quickly and then looked back at Miles. "Wow less than a day old and the little slut already has a boy hooked. Apparently nine months in the queen of all whores prepared her well."
"It's a boy and stop calling him a slut." With a nod and a smile Rachel got a serious face.
"We need to talk."
"Um ok," Brooke agreed, confused. She waited for Rachel to start, but she remained silent and stared at Lucas. Feeling eyes on him, Lucas looked up.
"Ok, I'll get going. I'll be back later." Lucas waved to Brooke and then began to walk out of the door.
"Hey Luke," Brooke called.
"Yeah." Lucas turned.
"I'm going to want my son back."
"Oh yeah, sorry." Lucas and Brooke both smiled as Miles was placed into his mother's arms. Lucas kissed Brooke on the forehead. "He's beautiful," he whispered and then made his exit. Brooke watched him go.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Brooke asked. Rachel pulled up a chair beside her friend's bed.
"Ok you know I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'm just going to ask you. Your son is he really David's?"
"What do you mean?" Brooke looked up.
"I mean that you come back from Tree Hill in a panic and tell me that you slept with Lucas, the love of your life."
"I don't think I called him the love of my life."
"That's because you're lying to yourself. But that's not the point. The point is who is this little bugger's daddy?" Rachel patted the baby's blankets.
"David, my husband," Brooke spoke sternly.
"Ok. I won't say I believe you, but I won't question it anymore. So can I hold him?" Brooke smiled down at her baby before handing him to the redhead.
"Don't drop him."
"Believe it or not I actually know how to hold a baby." Rachel supported the baby's head. Thoughts racing through her head, Brooke looked at Rachel holding her son who was smiling up at Rachel. His brilliant blue eyes locked on her face.