Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill
Title: Too Bad
Author: ReadingRed
Chapter Seven: Father's Hands
When Lucas reached the back bedroom Brennan was standing, holding onto the side of the play pin to keep himself upright. The little boy had tears in his eyes and his face was growing red.
"Hey Buddy, there's no need for all that. I'm here, I got you." Luke cooed as he pulled Brennan up out of the play pin and into his arms. Brennan sniffled a bit and settled into Luke's arms.
As Brennan quieted Luke looked over his head to check on Logan. The little girl was sleeping soundly on the queen size bed, her small thumb in her mouth and a peaceful expression on her face. Luke smiled at the sight. It was nice to see Logan looking like a regular two year old.
"Come on, Bud. How about we go check on your brothers and then find Mama?" Lucas asked Brennan.
"Mama" Brennan echoed, recognizing the word and its meaning.
Liam and Bryce were sleeping just as soundly as Logan. The twin boys curled together in their play pin in Luke and Brooke's room. 'We really need to get them permanent beds' Luke thought to himself.
Brennan and Luke continued their way down the hall and back to Brooke. As they entered the living room Luke remembered the condition he had left Brooke in and immediately shielded Brennan's eyes.
The little boy giggled at the game and tried to pry Lucas' fingers from his face. Brooke laughed too. Luke looked over and found her to be fully dressed and in the process of picking up his clothes from the floor.
"It's okay Luke, I'm decent." Brooke said with a smile. "Besides, he's only a year old. I don't think he cares. It wasn't really all that long ago I was breastfeeding him."
Luke blushed and explained himself. "Sorry, it's just that I wasn't really sure that the rules were concerning naked parents."
"Lucas, it's fine. I'm glad you care." Brooke said, trading him his clothes for her son.
"Hey baby boy. Did you have a good nap?" Brooke asked her son. Brennan nodded. The little boy didn't talk much, but Luke knew that he understood a lot of what was said to him.
"The others were all still asleep." Luke informed Brooke.
"We should probably get them up in a little bit, or they'll be up all night." Brooke said.
Luke nodded seriously. There had been a few nights when the twins didn't sleep at all and he wasn't ready to relive the experience. He slipped his shirt back over his head and left Brooke and Brennan in the living room so he could put his boxers back on in the bathroom.
When he got back to the living room, Brooke was sitting on the floor with her back against the sofa. Brennan was crawling around on the floor in front of her. The little boy gripped onto the sofa and pulled himself up onto his unsteady feet. Brennan looked at Brooke and Lucas with a smile so bright it showed the dimples he had inherited from his mother.
Brooke swept the toddler into her lap and tickled his belly. Brennan's hysterical laughter filled the room.
Lucas sat down next to the mother and son and put his arm around Brooke.
"Uke!" Brennan said when Luke sat down.
Luke's heart stopped, granted the boy hadn't called him Daddy, but to him hearing Brennan say Luke was just as good.
"Brennan, what did you say?" Brooke asked, wanting to hear him say it again.
"Uke!" Brennan said with even more enthusiasm. This time, pulling out of his mothers' arms and launching himself at Lucas.
Luke caught him and lifted the little boy into the air above his own head. Brennan looked down at him with an indescribable smile on his face. As if he knew that he had accomplished something great.
"Brennan, you did awesome!" Luke cheered. He lowered the boy into his arms and pulled him close for a hug. Brennan relaxed and curled into Luke's chest.
Brooke looked at them and smiled. "I'm going to wake up the others. We'll need to leave for Naley's in a little while."
Lucas nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of Brennan's head. "I'll help you. How about you get the twins, and I'll get Logan?"
"Thanks Luke."
He and Brennan followed Brooke down the hall. Brooke walked through the door to the master bedroom on the left and Brennan and he went through the door at the very end of the hall.
Logan had spread herself over the middle of the queen size bed, taking up much more room than Luke thought necessary for a two year old. He smiled at the way Logan seemed to defy physics. He set Brennan down on the bed next to Logan and brushed the hair out of the little girls face.
He wasn't sure how to go about waking the child up. Usually she got up by herself. When Luke was a child his mother would shake him, or toss a pillow or blanket on him to get him up in the morning. Lucas didn't think either one of those ways would do well in this situation.
He decided to go for a softer approach.
"Logan." He said softly but firmly. "Logan, baby, you need to wake up. We're going to go to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Haley's house."
Logan groaned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She slowly sat up and stretched. Luke had to stop himself from laughing, she looked exactly like Brooke. Their mannerisms were nearly identical.
He wasn't sure how much of what he had said, actually made it through to her so he repeated himself. "We get to go to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Haley's house. You remember Haley from this morning?"
Logan nodded and lifted her arms up in the air. Luke knew the gesture meant that she wanted to be picked up. Since the breakfast incident the other day she had steadily grown more trusting of Lucas, still whenever she made a gesture like this, his heart swelled with joy. He picked Logan up in one arm and picked Brennan up in the other and they went to the master bedroom to join Brooke and the twins.
When they entered Brooke was on the floor with the twins changing Liam's diaper. Luke set Brennan on his bed with a strict 'stay there', and set Logan down on her feet telling her to go pick out a different outfit to wear to Nathan and Haley's, before joining Brooke on the floor to help change the boys. She was nearly done changing Liam so he slid Bryce closer so he could change the baby. Bryce giggled at his change in position.
It didn't take long to get the twins and Brennan changed and to dress all four children. They all wore mini Bobcats jerseys that Luke had bought for them when they went on a massive shopping spree the first week they had been at his house. He had offered to get a Charlotte Bobcat cheerleading outfit for Logan, but the girl had refused. For as much as she looked like Brooke, Logan certainly had her differences; she was a tomboy to the core.
Luke knew that Nathan would get a kick out of the kids wearing jerseys from the team he played for; Jamie had a few of his own that were nearly threadbare from overuse. Luke and Brooke loaded the kids up into his car and they were off to Naley's.