Hey guys! Hope that everyone is enjoying the story! This chapter is by heartsmash69 and is awesome! We'll have an update within a week. Thanks Maggie for the beta. Please read and enjoy! Oh and please tell us what you think! Thanks guys!

Chapter 4

Early February, 2009

Her day had been fairly busy, what with going to the gallery and working to put together a showing for next week. She got out a little earlier than usual and stopped quickly by the bakery to get the bread that Mark liked to have along with dinner. Hailing a cab, she gave the address to the apartment, of which they had started to rent just after Christmas, in French to the driver and watched the meter as they drove the semi-busy streets of Paris. Less than ten minutes later, the driver pulled to the curb and Peyton handed the him enough Euros to cover the fare as well as a tip. Exiting the cab, she adjusted the messenger bag, that she used for work, on her shoulder as well as the bread that she carried. She took the stairs to their fourth floor apartment and pulled out her keys, unlocking the door quickly.

"Hey, babe, I got the good bread for dinner tonight," Peyton said as she stepped inside the apartment, "You know the kind. . . ." She trailed off in shock to find her husband and a half-naked girl standing in the middle of their living room. The raven haired girl had just zipped up her jeans and was

reaching for her top, and Mark was also sheepishly doing up his pants. Peyton's gaze zigzagged between her husband and the girl that she had caught him red-handed with.

It took Peyton less than two seconds to assimilate the situation, especially since she spotted the girl's discarded underwear balled up beside the recliner. Her fingers reflexively clenched around the package she held in her hand.

"Get the fuck out of my house," she quietly ordered. Her murderous stare was trained directly on the girl who had dared destroy what she had felt lucky enough to find, what she thought had been sacred and safe.

Peyton felt her heart beating in her ears as she stared in the eyes of her cheating husband. Her chest rose and fell in shallow pants.

The girl looked at Mark.

"Is that what you want Mark?"

"Simone, don't," Mark mumbled warningly

The girl's words snapped Peyton's slender hold on control and she threw down the bread and her bag, and yelled at Simone.

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Simone looked uncertainly at Mark.

"Just leave, please," he said.

After she was gone, Peyton looked at her in obvious anger, confusion, and hurt.

"What are you doing, Mark?" Her question was a bare whisper.

"I-I. . ." Mark couldn't find the words to tell her; not when she was looking at him with such a betrayed expression.

"You slept with her?" she cried, "And in our house? We're married!"

"Pey, I-"

"Why?" she sobbed, "Why would you do that?"

"You weren't supposed to find out."

"Obviously," she cried, "but the one day I get out of work early and I come home to surprise you, I find you screwing some slut."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"How long?"

He hesitated.

"HOW LONG?" she demanded

"Since before we got married."

"Oh god!" Peyton cried, burying her face in her hands. Their marriage was a complete lie. They had taken vows and he had been breaking them before the Justice of the Peace had even declared them husband and wife. Mark took a step towards her and moved to put his hands on her shoulders.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" she exploded, jerking away from him. "I can't even stand to look at you right now," she said. She looked at him one last time, her eyes filled with disgust and loathing, before heading for the door. She didn't even close it behind her – all she knew was that she had to get out of there.

It hadn't been hard to tell Jake that she was pregnant with his baby. In fact, it had been easy as he quickly understood that the night that they had shared in the park was what had produced their unborn son or daughter. That had been August. From there, they had discussed what their options were and which one was optimal for them.

But there had only been one real answer for them and that was to keep the baby. Brooke moved to Chicago to live with Jake, and from there the pieces fell together. They started to date – even though they had done things in reverse, in conceiving a child before they had even been in a relationship. And this relationship was much different than the one she had shared with Lucas, because Jake was not Lucas. But things between them were good; they were safe and it made Brooke felt needed and wanted, much unlike she had felt in the last weeks of her relationship with Lucas a year ago.

There was only one thing that neither Brooke nor Jake had done, and that was let Peyton know that they were having a baby. Haley, Lucas, and Nathan knew but they had promised to keep the news quiet, and every time Brooke felt like she had worked up enough courage to tell her best friend that she was eight months pregnant with Jake's baby, she chickened out.

But today was the day. She was going to call Peyton with Jake by her side, and then they would be going to a doctor's appointment for another ultrasound and check up. The two sat at the kitchen table, and holding one of Jake's hands, she dialed her best friend's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Peyton answered with a sniffle

"Peyton, it's Brooke."

"Oh hey Brooke, what's up?"

"Not much, I just wanted to catch up. We haven't talked in what feels like forever."

"Yeah, I know. How are things?"

"Things are wonderful actually and that's why I called."

"Wonderful? You sound it? What's going on?"

"Well, I know I should have told you sooner but it's been hard figuring out how to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Peyton questioned, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. After the afternoon she had just had, had could she not be suspicious?

"Jake and I are together – we've been dating for five months now. And we're having a baby."

It was like a kick in the stomach and Peyton had to sit on a bench on the street, because she felt like her knees were going to buckle. Wasn't it cruel fate that both her best friend and her ex-boyfriend were happy and her marriage was crumbling around her? Serves her right for believing like a blind fool.

"Are you surprised?"

"Surprised is not even the word. Shocked is more like it. Are you sure this is what you want Brooke? I mean, you haven't even graduated college yet and you're having a baby?"

Brooke frowned. Peyton was supposed to be happy for her, not disenchanted.

"Yes, this is what we want. And it's a little late to do anything about it now. I'm due next month."

Peyton was speechless.

"What were you going to wait until you gave birth and let me know?"

"No," Brooke responded angrily, "That's why I'm telling you now."

"Super, Brooke, thanks for just adding to pile-on-Peyton day."

"What are you talking about?"

"I caught Mark cheating on me with my own eyes. He's been carrying it on since before we got married."

"Peyton, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, aren't we all?" Peyton replied sadly and ended the call.

The dial tone in her ear made Brooke's eyes well up with tears. Never in a million years had she thought her best friend would be so…cold, so uncaring, so nonchalant about a huge part of her life. She was sad for Peyton and the fact that Mark had cheated on her, but that didn't give her the right to make her feel crappy for having the baby.

Jake noted that she wasn't as happy as she had been prior to the phone call and lifted her chin, so she would look him in the eye.

"Hey, if she's not happy for us, then we deal. All that matters is you and me and our son or daughter."

She nodded and he gave her a small kiss on her lips.

"Now let's go to the doctor and get you and the baby a check up."

Jake drove Brooke to the Dr. Bloom's office and they rode the elevator to the fourth floor. They waited until Brooke's name was called before going back. The nurse led them down the hall towards the examining room. After opening the door for them to enter the nurse said in a friendly manner, "You know the drill, Brooke. Your gown's on the table." She closed the door with a soft click. Jake turned around to give her privacy to change in.

"Done yet?" Jake questioned a few minutes later.

"Yeah, you can turn around," she answered

She was sitting on the examining table wearing one of those awful hospital gowns. Jake smiled at the picture she made.

"Good morning, Jake and Brooke!" Dr. Bloom said as he came strolling in. He reiterated what the nurse had told them as they had walked to the examination room before he began doing his job.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor questioned.

"Other than the loss of my favorite jeans, I'm doing just fine," Brooke answered the doctor happily.

It only took fifteen minutes to give Brooke her check-up and then it was on to the ultrasound room. Jake watched closely as the nurses prepped Brooke, spreading a clear liquid on her round abdomen.

"Let's have a look here, shall we?"

The doctor ran the wand over Brooke's expanded stomach. An arrhythmic whirring sound began to fill the room. It sounded fast, like a fan running on high speed. The three of them looked onto the screen and watched as a figure appeared.

"Oh my," the doctor said as he continued to move the wand

"What?" Brooke questioned nervously

"Nothing bad. I just can't believe we've missed this."

The doctor moved the wand a little more and Brooke gasped. A second figure appeared on the screen.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jake asked astounded.

"Congratulations you two, you're having twins. The second baby must have been hiding behind the first on your past two ultrasounds."

The thought of one baby was amazing, but the thought of two was rendering the parents to be speechless.

"Twins," Brooke said softly to Jake.

Her boyfriend kissed her on the lips. Two babies would be coming into the world very soon. But somehow, Brooke Davis knew she was prepared.

Nathan Scott looked down at the bills that lay on the table in front of him and continued to write out checks. How had life gotten him here? He and Haley were fighting estrangement, as she was fighting the strong hold that depression had on her and she was in no shape to be a mother, let alone a

wife. They had been separated since the New Year had begun, not wanting to ruin Lynn's holiday season with shuttling the little girl between two homes.

He also looked at the calendar that lay on the table in front of him. It was amass of notes of when Lynn went to preschool, play dates for her, as well as dates when he had papers due in night class and one specific date had big boxed letters reading LYNN'S BIRTHDAY. The little girl had plenty of friends from school and from the neighborhood, but what Nathan was worried about was his distant wife. It would be wrong not to include her, but he was hoping she would get it together to celebrate their daughter's special day.

Looking away from the demands of adulthood and parenthood, he watched as Lynn played not even five feet away from him in her play kitchen. She was so carefree and innocent, and the best daughter a father could ask for; she deserved a birthday thrown by both her parents. Picking up the portable phone, he dialed the house and waited for Haley to pick up.

"Hello?" she answered and Nathan felt his heart pound and his mouth go dry. "Hello?" she asked again.

"Ha-Haley, it's Nathan," he said, regaining the use of his voice.

"Hi," she said softly, and he noted that she sounded lost, "How are you and Lynn?"

"I'm fine, and Lynn's playing with the kitchen set she got for Christmas. How are you?"

"I'm better…adjusting to the new medication and it's a lot better than the last. I think it's really working."

"I'm glad," Nathan told her sincerely, looking at the wedding band on his left hand. Her depression had been sparked by his blame on her for the loss of their second child and it hurt him to know that his words had caused her to spin into a tornado of physical and emotional pain to the point of needing medication. He still loved her, but he knew that they could not be a family until she was truly healthy again. Haley had to be able to be a mother to Lynn before Nathan could even think of them as whole.

"Lynn's birthday is soon. I figured I should call and see if you wanted to

help with a party for her."

"Yes, please," Haley agreed and Nathan could hear her lose some of the sadness in her voice at the prospect of helping with something for their daughter.

"Okay, here's what I was thinking."

Peyton stepped into the living room of the apartment the next morning after having spent the night in a cheap hotel one town over. She was wrinkled, but more importantly shaken at being in the place where the deception had taken place. Mark was sitting on the couch, staring off into space but stared at her in shocked amazement. She closed the apartment door softly behind her. Mark rose from the couch and took a cautious step forward.

"Peyton, where have you been?"

Her bloodshot eyes were weary and resolute when she looked at him.

"We need to talk, Mark."

"Okay."

"I don't condone what you did. I hate you for defiling our home and destroying our marriage."

He hung his head in shame and she didn't feel bad for making him feel that way.

"I'm so sorry Peyton."

"Sorry you did it or sorry you got caught?" she asked bitingly

"Sorry I did it. Simone…she's my ex-girlfriend. The one before I fell for you and we saw each other a week before we got married and it just happened. It wasn't planned and I never wanted to hurt you. I promised myself after the first time that I would never do it again, but it was like an addiction and I couldn't stop myself from going to her."

She sighed defeated and took a seat on the armchair, avoiding the couch, knowing that that was where her husband and Simone had been together.

"I know a thing or two about addiction," she whispered, "In high school I had tried cocaine and although I promised myself it would only be one time, it turned out that I wanted it, more and more. But eventually, someone helped me realize that I was stronger than I thought and that the drugs were a crutch that I wanted to lean on, even though I didn't need it."

"Jake?"

"Yeah," she replied, remembering when Jake had come back to her it had been the happiest moment of her life. There was so much promise back then, so much life and bliss. But now, she was here. In a foreign country with a fantastic job, but with a husband that had cheated on her repeatedly and without anything to show for what a marriage should be. Meanwhile, others were living life and reaping the benefits.

Maybe, just maybe if she tried harder. Maybe she shouldn't give up just yet.

"Mark, I don't want to get a divorce. You did what you did. I'm not going to forgive you for a long time, but I want to try and make this work. To just jump ship on something that could be good if we really worked hard, and got past all this."

He looked shocked at her proposal. He was probably preparing himself for her to suggest that they begin divorce proceedings as soon as possible.

"O-okay," he stammered, "Thank you Peyton. You won't regret making this decision, I swear it."

"I hope I won't," she said to him in a whisper.

Late February, 2009

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Lynn! Happy Birthday to you!"

Everyone clapped, and Nathan helped his daughter blow out the candles on the cake. Everyone who was important was there for Lynn's birthday – Lucas, Deb, Dan, Nathan's uncle Cooper, Peyton and Mark, as well as kids from Lynn's preschool class and from the neighborhood.

There was an unspoken tension between Peyton and Mark, as everyone knew what happened and that they were trying to put their marriage back together but nobody said boo about the forbidden topic. Everyone except Brooke and Jake were present, as Brooke was moving into her ninth month of pregnancy and flying was no longer an option for the pregnant former cheerleading captain.

Haley seemed better, and the medication that she had been taking for her depression seemed to be doing the trick. She was smiling and laughing, snapping pictures of their daughter enjoying the attention that she was

getting on her birthday. Of course, one day of normal Haley behavior did not automatically mean that they were back to basics of being a family, although he wanted that for not just himself but for Lynn as well. It just meant that they were on the right path.

His half-brother on the other hand looked lonely and positively miserable. Nathan knew that Brooke being pregnant with Jake's baby and her being with Jake as well was killing the flaxen haired Scott brother. In Lucas' eyes, Brooke was his soul mate and life was not going to plan with them not being together. He watched Lucas go into the kitchen and he wanted to follow and talk to his brother. Nathan walked over to Haley and asked her to keep an eye on Lynn for a few minutes.

"Of course, go talk to Luke. He needs his brother," Haley said and moved over to where Lynn was and suggested that they start opening presents. Nathan watched for a minute with appreciation, as his wife reassumed her role as mother before going into the kitchen.

He found Lucas pouring whiskey over ice.

"Isn't a little early to start with the hard stuff?" he questioned leaning around the cabinets, arms crossed

"Don't," Lucas replied gruffly.

"Don't what? Ask you how you're doing?"

"I think you might know. My ex-girlfriend, whom I thought was the one, is pregnant by another guy and is with him to top it off."

"Luke, Jake is a good guy and a friend. He's not Felix Taggaro. He's treating her well and making her happy. If it was any different then I could commiserate with you, but it's not."

"Thanks for the support Nate," Lucas replied, "You know, Brooke used to say, 'People that are meant to be together always find their way in the end.' I'm not sure I believe her anymore."

Dan Scott, esteemed Mayor of Tree Hill and father to both men in the kitchen, walked in and asked Nathan to give him a moment with his elder son.

Dan had become a better man than he had been when the boys had been in high school. He was an excellent grandfather to Lynn and was honestly trying to be a good father as well.

"Have you talked to your mother recently?"

"Is that even a question?" Lucas asked, staring at Dan, the older man realizing that Lucas and Karen were still on bad terms.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know that before you two had your falling out, you had a pretty good relationship."

"Yeah, so?"

Dan wanted to hit his son upside the head for being so pigheaded. Here he was trying to help Karen and Lucas get back to being mother and son, instead of enemies.

"You should call her."

"Why? What in the world do you believe is so earth shattering that I would want to call her? The woman who, if you don't remember, was the one that stopped communicating with me."

"Lucas, your mom is sick. She was diagnosed with breast cancer last month."

Lucas looked as if he had been dunked into a tank of cold water.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you so abruptly, but she needs you. Deb and I have been helping her out, but there is only so much that we can do for her."

Lucas nodded.

"She has a chemo session next Wednesday. I'm sure…if you were there for, it wouldn't be as scary as it has been for her."

"Thank you," Lucas told his father blinking back the tears that had formed, "Thanks for telling me about my mom."

"You're welcome."

March 3rd, 2009

Jake was striding purposefully through the corridors of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Haley, who had been visiting Brooke this week and helping her prepare for the babies, had called him at work to tell him that Brooke was on the way to the hospital and that she was in labor. She had met him at the entrance and was now half-running, half-jogging to keep up with him.

"Jake! Slow down!"

He didn't slow down. Jake had only one thing on his mind. Brooke. She was three weeks early. She wasn't supposed to be in labor now. What if something was wrong with her, wrong with the babies? Jake's heart raced with a frantic fear that caused his breath to feel as if it were being squeezed from his lungs. He didn't know if it was normal for a woman to have a baby three weeks before her due date. All he knew that he was more frightened than he'd ever been in his life.

Haley didn't know the room number because she was not family, so they moved quickly to the nurses' station. He continued to not heed Haley's pleas for him to slow down and rounded the corner straight for the admissions desk.

"I'm looking for Brooke Davis."

"She's having a fast delivery. Her chart says she's dilated four centimeters, so she's been admitted. Room 549."

Haley finally caught up and they took the elevator together. The two rushed into Brooke's hospital room frantic and out of breath. She was in bed. It was tilted at an obtuse angle and Brooke was reclined back against the pillows propped behind her. Jake thought he had never seen her look so beautiful. Her hair lay across her shoulder in a braid. She was engrossed in a soap opera. At their skidding entrance; however, she glanced up in surprise.

"Jake," she said happily seeing her boyfriend and the father of her children walk in the door, "You're here."

"Are you ok?" he asked, coming towards her, "You're early. Is something wrong with the babies?" He sat down beside her on the bed, holding her hand that did not have the IV in it.

"No. Dr. Bloom said they are right on time. He said he might have been a week or two off since I was unsure about my last cycle."

Jake heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Are you scared?"

"Not really. Just a little sad."

"Sad? Why?"

"Peyton's not here," Brooke said quietly and Jake knew that his girlfriend was still dealing with Peyton's snub of her pregnancy and overall good news.

"Sweetheart, she'll come around. She's dealing with a lot right now – Haley says her new show is opening soon and she and Mark are working to put their marriage back together."

"I hope she will. Not that I don't love you Tutor Girl, but I want the twins to have both my best friends as aunts."

"I understand Tigger. Like Jake said, I think she just needs time."

Brooke smiled but she was seized by a contraction. Jake's expression became immediately concerned as he watched Brooke grit her teeth in pain. He rubbed her back consolingly while she gripped his free hand in a tight squeeze.

"How about those drugs?" she asked after the contraction had passed.

As requested, the anesthesiologist came and administered the epidural. Jake and Haley both worked as coaches to Brooke over the next two hours, until Dr. Bloom came in and told Brooke that she was dilated to ten centimeters and that they would be taking her down to the delivery room to give birth to the twins.

"Will Daddy be joining us in the delivery room?" a nurse questioned

Jake nodded and accepted the scrubs that she had them and changed quickly so that he could go into the room with Brooke. Haley held Brooke's hand as the nurses put a cap over her hair. They wheeled her down to the other room and doctors and nurses milled around ready for the delivery.

"Okay Brooke, it's time to push," Dr. Bloom said from behind a mask

Within in half an hour, one of the babies was nearly crowning.

"Oh God, Jaaaaake! I can't do it! I CAN'T DO IT!" Brooke's face was contorted as she pushed. She gripped Jake's hand, bearing down hard.

"Come on, Brooke! Just a few more," Dr. Bloom coached.

"You said that ten minutes ago," Brooke groaned.

"This time I mean it."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Brooke cried, shaking her head, "I can't push anymore."

"You have to push!" the doctor commanded.

Brook yelled as she pushed, feeling as if her body were being ripped in two. Now she knew why in tenth grade Biology she had determined that giving birth was not for her after having watched 'The Miracle of Life.'

"Push hard, Brooke!" Jake encouraged, stroking her back.

Brooke glared at him in a moment of angry pain. "I'm pushing hard, dammit!"

Jake wasn't perturbed by her sharp words. "Push harder!"

Brooke pushed harder.

"One's almost here," Dr. Bloom reassured her, "The head's crowning."

A moment later Brooke felt a pain so intense that she screamed in agony. Jake crumpled, in agony himself to witness the pain she had to endure in giving birth to their children. Brooke felt the baby being pulled free of

her body and sighed with relief.

"Congratulations you have a son!"

Brooke felt tears falling down her face. Jake kissed her lips and they smiled together as the doctor clamped the umbilical cord and Jake cut it. The nurses took the baby and cleaned him up before letting Brooke hold him. They had decided two names for both boys and girls and were waiting until the babies were born to decide which name fit.

"He's definitely a Jack," Brooke told Jake and Jake nodded in agreement. Jonathan Ryan Jagielski had been born. The nurses took Jack to measure his height, weight, motor skills, among other things.

Brooke only had a forty five minute break before the Jack's twin was crowning.

"Come on Brooke, the second baby's head is crowning."

Motions were repeated, and soon Brooke heard the cries of the second baby.

"You guys have a daughter!" Dr. Bloom told the parents and the umbilical cord was cut and their little girl was taken to be cleaned up.

The nurses placed the baby in Brooke's arms.

"What do you think?" Brooke asked Jake, as they decided on the second baby's name.

"She looks like an Emma," he answered.

The few hours of labor had paid off. Emma Rose and Jonathan Ryan Jagielski were now here. They were tangible part of their family.

"Brooke, I know this may not be the most romantic place in the world and I had wanted to do this before the babies were born, but they came a little earlier than expected so…"

"Jake, you're rambling," she told him, placing a hand on his cheek, "What is it?"

Reaching into the pants of his scrubs that he had worn into the delivery room, he extracted a velvet box. He flipped back the top to reveal a gleaming diamond set in a platinum band.

"Will you marry me, Brooke Davis?"

Brooke felt her eyes fill with tears of joy and she clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. "Oh my god!" she gasped, her words muffled behind her hands.

"Well what do you say?" His eyes were hopeful, trusting, wanting. There was a part of him that still feared Brooke would reject him.

Brooke gently took his face between her hands and gave him a tender kiss. "Yes," she whispered tearfully, "Yes! Yes! YES! I will marry you, Jake Jagielski!"

And just like that her future fell into place.