Hello, I know I said Id update more.. but I had writer's block lol... here's chapter 17.. read and enjoy... well actually.. i doubt you'll enjoy it LOL...sorry for this one by the way...

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Chapter Seventeen: What Is, and What Used To Be

"Well would you look at this!" Peyton sneered sarcastically. "Aren't we all just one big happy family!" She said as she glanced around and landed her eyes on Nathan and Haley. Haley shifted nervously next to Nathan who balanced Mikey in one arm and put his other around Haley. "You two still together?" She asked in disbelief. "When are you actually going to let it go and face that you suck together?" She grinned.

Nathan found himself already angry at her, and step forward to put an end to it, but Haley placed her hand on his chest, telling him to let it go. "Yes we are, but what the hell are you doing here?" Haley sighed, not wanting to lose her patience, but she didn't have time for this, she needed to get back to the hospital.

"That your kid?" Peyton asked nodding toward Michael, obviously avoiding the question. "He's cute, which means she must have cheated on you Nate." Haley flamed at this, and this time it was her that stepped forward, but not Nathan grabbed her shoulder and held her back.

"No, this is my nephew..." Haley took a deep breath to calm herself, getting ready to tell her who's child Michael was, but Peyton cut her off.

"Good, because if you guys had a kid, the poor thing wouldn't make it past a year, not with all the drama in your lives." Peyton said, not realizing how terrible it was. She turned and looked at Brooke who's mouth was dropped in disbelief to her comment.

"Peyton! Natalie is going to be fine! And it is NOT their faults!" Brooke snapped, stepping right into her face angrily. Michael and Erica's eyes widened at this confrontation, as they shifted around nervously. Haley sighed a deep sigh and leaned into Nathan's chest, not wanting to let herself become overwhelmed by her emotions at this time.

Peyton glanced over at Haley and smirked evilly, "Looks like I hit a nerve."

"Mommy..." Michael sighed as he slipped out of Nathan's arms and made his way to Brooke, holding his arms out for her to take him up. Brooke shielded him in her arms as she saw Peyton eyes fixed on Michael. "Who is that?" Michael whispered to Brooke with a scared expression in his voice.

"Mommy?" Peyton laughed. "And who the hell knocked you up."

"Why is she being so mean?" A small voice asked from behind Lucas's leg, hiding away with fear. Peyton glanced over and could only see some curls behind Lucas, but she knew who it was. Lucas noticed Peyton's eyes widened with happiness as she stepped towards them.

He pulled Erica in his arms protectively and moved over to Brooke side, placing his arm around her and Michael. "Im Michael's father." Lucas said with confidence.

"And my daddy too!" Erica giggled as she wrapped her arms around Lucas's neck. Lucas laughed too, smoothing her hair with the palm of his hand.

"Of course sweety." Lucas smiled.

"What a cute family." Peyton sighed, letting down her protective guard when she saw how happy her daughter was without her.

"And Brookey is my mommy! Right Brookey?" Erica laughed as she reached out and hugged Brooke. Brooke laughed but stopped when she noticed Michael's face begin to redden.

"Well, yea, if its alright with Michael." Brooke gave him a questioning look.

Michael looked around at everyone staring at him, and felt a little intimidated. But when he looked at the way they all looked at Peyton, as if she had the power to take everything away from them, he responded, "Yea, and she's my sister?" Even though he hated Erica sometimes, she was still his sister, and brothers are supposed to protect their sisters. They do in his movies anyways.

"Right." Lucas smiled. Brooke smiled at Lucas, and even Nathan and Haley smiled. Everyone loved the fact that Michael was finally letting go and giving in.

Peyton walked over to Erica and wrapped her finger around one of her curls, and Erica just watched her in awe of how much she looked like an older version of her. Erica reached out and touched Peyton's hair too.

"You have hair like me..." Erica whispered to her and she too played with Peyton's hair. Peyton chin quivered as tears of happiness rolled down her face.

"Yea, I do...you look just like me... what's your name sweety?" Peyton asked her, and Erica smiled. Lucas shifted back from her and everyone hated the encounter, wishing Peyton had never showed up and destroyed everything when it finally fell into place again.

"Erica..." She whispered.

"That's a pretty name." Peyton smiled, wiping away her tears.

"Erica, why don't you and Mikey go get washed up for breakfast..." Lucas said as she placed her on the floor.

"We'll take you, we have to get ready to go to the hospital... when we get back after supper how about you and Mikey go to the park with uncle Nathan and I?" Haley suggested, wanting to give Brooke and Lucas sometime with Peyton to sort things out.

"OKAY!" Both kids screamed happily rushing up the stairs. On the way up, Erica called out, "Will Natalie be coming?"

"No sweety, Natalie isn't feeling well yet." Nathan whispered as him and Haley followed the two kids up the stairs.

Brooke, Lucas and Peyton stood nervously in the doorway still. "Why don't we go sit down." Brooke said as she waved towards the living room. She was proud of herself, after all, she wasn't showing her emotions to anyone. But secretly she was aching with terror. Peyton always had a hold on Lucas, and no matter how close Brooke was to him, Peyton had her way of ripping them apart. Lucas always had this connection with her, and now they had their daughter bringing them closer, and she worried that her and Michael would be pushed out of the picture to make room for Peyton. Peyton sat in the chair, and Brooke sat on the couch, moving over to make room for Lucas. But Lucas didn't sit by her, instead he sat on the opposite couch, far away from both girls.

"What's going on Peyton?" Lucas asked impatiently as she just stared at the stairs where Erica disappeared.

"She's beautiful." Peyton said in awe.

"I know... what's your point.. Why are you here?" Lucas snapped.

"I came to get my daughter." Peyton smirked confidently as she broke her gaze from the staircase.

"Like hell!" Lucas laughed. Was this girl serious? She disappeared for five years, and expects to come back and take Erica away from the only family she ever knew. "You wont get your hands on my daughter!" Lucas said when he realized that Peyton was being serious.

"No, Im not here to get your daughter, Im here to get mine..." Peyton smiled as she sat back in the chair, tilting her head back to rub her comfort with the situation in their faces.

"Erica is my daughter... not yours..."Lucas said, Brooke just sat there, her mouth dropped open. She caught onto what Peyton said right away, Lucas however, had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sorry, that's where you're wrong... have you looked at that child...she's exactly like me." Peyton said.

"Yes, you may have given birth to her, but you are NOT her mother." Lucas snapped. Leaning forward to seem more serious about what he said.

"Have you noticed that..." Peyton began to smile, so satisfied with herself. "She looks nothing like you!"

"What are you trying to say?" Lucas asked quietly as he leaned back on the couch, unable to wrap his head around this.

"She's not your daughter...She's Jake's." Peyton said casually, as if this happened in their lives everyday.

"How is that possible.." Lucas asked in denial.

"Well.. It's simple, I cheated on you, when we were cheating on Brookey!" Peyton laughed, loving how this was playing out.

"Go to hell..." Brooke sneered, finally making her presence more known.

"If I do, Ill be taking my daughter with me." Peyton smirked again.

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once again... DUM DUM DUM! LOL ... I LOVE doing that! LOL... Review please...

Michelley P.