Thank you to all of you who read and thank you to diane hermans for giving the story its first review. I'm very glad you liked the idea and I hope all of you like this new chapter. Please remember to give the little blue button some love
Chapter 2. You Know He Turned Out Just Like You
"Mama, MAMA!" Peyton heard from the nursery first thing the next day.
A shaft of sunlight temporarily blinded her as she threw her covers off and padded down the hall. Gianna grinned showing all twelve of het little teeth as Peyton took her up in her arms.
"Hey Goldilocks," she said kissing her daughter's temple. "I can't believe my little girl is two years old today."
"Me big" Anna cried throwing her arms wide.
"You sure are baby," Peyton agreed. "You're growing up so fast that Mommy is starting to feel like an old lady." Anna laughed at the sour face her mother was making. "All right you growing girl you, let's get some breakfast huh?"
"Tay," Anna replied grasping her mother's neck.
Peyton deposited her in the waiting high chair and turned around to look through the kitchen cupboards. "Let's see Mommy can make us some eggs."
"Want dis!" Anna grabbed at a silver foil packet and began to wave it. Peyton liked to keep Anna on an at least semi-healthy diet but the little one's expert cute look was wearing her down. She knew asking Brooke to go to the store for her this week was a bad idea
"All right. For today and today only I'll let the birthday girl have a Pop-Tart."
Peyton smiled pushing the button for the toaster.
"Yay tank oo," cheered Anna offering a huge dimply grin.
Back when she was Peyton Sawyer, the sullen badass of Tree Hill High she had sworn never to fall for the cute stuff kids always pulled to get their way. When she was sixteen little Jenny Jagelski had smiled and laughed her way into Peyton's heart helping to soften the rough edges. Then she became a mother and realizes that
"You're welcome honey." Peyton hoped Anna would never lose her cuteness. Too bad that smile of hers was an exact replica of Nathan's was he was younger. "Don't you ever grow up you hear me?"
"Haven't we all given them that ultimatum, if only it worked...This package I brought in for you says 'P. Scott We've been away longer than I thought." Peyton jumped at the sound of the voice.
Ever since the Psycho Derek incident senior year she had been more careful about whom she let in the house especially now that she had Gianna to think about. But this person let out a kind and familiar laugh that made Peyton spin around.
"Oh my god Karen…Andy I didn't hear the doorbell ring."
"We're too important for doorbells," Andy explained facetiously.
"What Andy means to say," Karen Roe-Hargrove supplied giving her husband an elbow in the ribs. "Is that we went over to Brooke and Lucas's first and asked to borrow the key you gave him. I hope you don't mind. "
"No of course not,' Peyton chuckled hugging her surrogate mother tightly. "In fact if you promise to come more often I'll give you a key of your own."
"Ha, ha" remarked Karen releasing the hug to examine the young woman. "Peyton look at you…you're beautiful and so grown up."
"Thank you." Peyton couldn't help letting a tear escape and turned away blushing.
"Oh honey, somehow I always manage to make you cry don't I?"
"No it's...I'm fine I swear,"
"I think this one feels a bit out of the loop," deduced Andy who had taken Anna into his arms when she cried out.
Both women turned around and Gianna reached out to Karen who took her sighing happily. "So this is the little star of our show. What's your name, precious?
"Anna!" the child chirped.
"Gianna technically," Peyton replied. "Gianna Brooke, but I nicknamed her Anna, after my mom you know?"
"I dis many," Anna proudly held up two fingers. Karen nodded and sat down with the little girl on her lap.
"I have a daughter who 's a little older than you are. Her name is Lily and she's almost three"
Anna's eyes widened "We pay?"
"Sometime I'll bring her over to play," she smiled. "I'm your Grandma Karen by the way and this guy over here is Andy. You know I think that package is just big enough to be a present. Why don't we go and open it while your mommy finishes breakfast?" Anna seemed thoroughly excited by this idea and ran off to her room dragging Karen behind so that Peyton, who was getting extra plates out, was afraid that Karen's shoulder was going to pop.
"She's a pistol," Andy laughed as he brought the new settings to the table, "Kind of reminds of Lily at that age. She's spending the morning with her brother, he and Brooke will bring her by the party later."
"Mama!" Anna cried twirling back into the kitchen.
"Wow, look at you Goldilocks," said Peyton surveying the black jumper with the huge pink heart on it that Anna was wearing with a pink tutu and black headband. Before Peyton could even ask Karen held the Clothes Over Bros tag in her palm. You had to love B. Davis.
XxXxX
"Ah!" Peyton yelped as she fought to get out from under the canvas "Happy Birthday" banner she had made the other day. Gianna was inside helping Andy and Karen unpack their suitcases. Peyton had taken the opportunity to set up the party away from prying little eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Karen watching her struggle an amused look on her face.
"Are you having fun catching up with Deb?" Peyton asked. Her mother-in-law had arrived shortly before lunch and began to squeal emphatically at the sight of Karen who had been traveling on Andy's yacht for the last three years.
"She's just as crazy as I remember but she's done a awesome job keeping up the café while I've been gone. The better question is what can I do to help beside rescue you from being mummified."
Peyton shrugged. "If by some miracle you got Anna to go down for a nap when she's all excited like this that will be all the help I need."
"Not quite," Karen held the right corner of the canvas while Peyton anchored it to a tree next bunch of weighted-down balloons. "But I think she helping Andy and Deb put our clothes away in those drawers you cleared out for us."
"Great! Now all we have to do is teach Nathan how to do laundry." Peyton winced under her "mother's" knowing gaze. "I walked right into that didn't I?"
"Certainly made my job a lot easier," Karen admitted sitting on the white patio bench.
"You've been through all these motions before haven't you?" said Peyton sitting beside her. "With Dan. Because you don't seem at all surprised that Nathan is Anna's father."
"That and the fact that Lucas emailed me two years ago when you and Brooke told him. Thought I might be able to offer some advice."
"Well if you have some…"
"Sweetie," She placed a comforting hand on Peyton's knee. "I'm always happy to help you in any way I can. But if you ask me Anna is the absolute happiest and most polite child in the world. You're great mother Pey. And even though it doesn't seem like it now Nathan is not his father. He would never do that because he's seen firsthand how much that hurts."
Peyton couldn't hold back a scoff. "Nathan Scott the great philanthropist. Making other kids wildest dreams come true because it makes everybody see him as the "good guy with the golden heart" but Anna's heart is the one that's going to be broken when her father doesn't even bother to show up at her birthday party."
Before Karen could say another word the side door to Brooke's buggy slammed and Lucas came storming up the lawn, having heard the tail end of the conversation. "Everyone freeze!" he commanded.
"It's an expression Lil," Brooke explained to the almost-three-year-old who had stiffened in her arms. "It's means 'stop what you're doing and listen'" Lucas waved the explanation dismissively still focusing on his mother and Peyton.
"You mean to tell me that little brother isn't showing up? That bas—"
"Earmuffs," Brooke shouted covering Lily's ears while Karen added a reproachful "Lucas Scott!"
"I'm sorry Mom! I just can't believe Nathan would…" He let the sentence trail leading to a tense silence between the four adults broken only by the door closing Anna came down the steps holding her Grandma Deb's hand.
"Unca Luke! An' Bwooke! "
Lucas's mood automatically lifted when he caught sight of his niece. "Hey there's our birthday girl!"
"Looking fabulous in her Clothes Over Bros jumper," added Brooke.
"That's goes without saying pretty girl," Lucas responded squeezing her shoulder.
"There you are Luke," called Andy slapping his stepson on the back as he closed the screen door. "I just finished putting your mother and my things in Peyton's guest room. Why the sour faces," he inquired looking around. "You'd think this party was being held in a cemetery for heaven's sake."
"Don't worry, now we're here the party can start?" Skills distinctive voice floated back to then from the street where he, Mouth, Fergie, and Junk got out of Mouth's car.
"Millie didn't come with you?" Brooke asked finishing her round of hugs.
Mouth shook his head. "Said she was going into New York on some Clothes Over Bros business. You didn't send her."
"It must have been your mom Brooke," Peyton said.
"I'll just have to remind Mom—zilla, who this company really belongs to," the brunette growled. She never could grasp the 'there's a new bitch in town' concept,"
"Yeah but the Cruella De Vil vibe is kind of hot," Skills looked up at the sky as if considering.
His roommates and friend shuddered. "Seriously Skills I can get you a girlfriend that isn't my forty-one-year-old leather-faced viper of a mother."
"Maybe some of Gianna's little friends have hot moms," Fergie chimed in. "Or ya know, grandparents."
"Shut up man!" Mouth hissed. He too, had spotted the blond woman in the distance. "Skills maybe we better go…"
"Yeah I know, find P. Sawyer and give her the present. Happy birthday Anna Ban—" Skills froze when he saw whose lap the little girl was sitting on. It wasn't Peyton's.
"Hello Antwon," Deb greeted him coolly while Skills looked awkwardly around for a new topic "So there's gonna at this bash right?"
Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yes Skills there's cake, we could serve if everybody would hurry up and get here."
"While we wait I rented a Jumbo Jumper for the backyard, Maybe you four wouldn't mind entertaining Lily and Gianna for a while. " suggested Peyton to the guys. "The clown I hired won't be here for another twenty minutes so…"
"All over that." Skills cried, eager Lucas assumed, to get away from his thirty-nine-year-old ex.
"Dude a moon bounce." Mia cried, as she approached her arm around Chase's waist. "Last one to the backyard has stinky feet—" Mouth, Lily, Anna Skills, Junk, Fergie, and Mia raced out back.
Lucas dropped his jaw looking wide-eyed at his friend. "Peyton I can't believe you hired a clown! I mean this party only has a few kids and besides clowns are creepy."
"You know Luke you're sounding a lot like…never mind." Brooke put a hand over her mouth realizing the subject she had broached. "Oh my god Luke …I'm sorry. Peyton?" The color drained from Peyton's stressed features as she took a couple of creeping steps forward.
Chase looked at the unfolding scene with an uncomfortable grimace. "You know, Mia is probably waiting for me."
"And she will still be waiting for you when you help us get Peyton into the backyard." The patented Davis glare left nothing to be challenged so Chase had no choice but to slow to the pace of Brooke and Lucas who were supporting a pale (but still defiant) Peyton).
"You guys really don't need to walk with me, I'm fine."
"We want to," Lucas assured his sister-in-law. "You looked stressed as hell. Let us take care of you for a change."
Peyton smiled. "Chase?"
He nodded. "My feet will be declared stinky because it's whatever."
" You've won that battle without even having to loose," Brooke joked laughing even more when Chase pouted. "Oh come on your feet were never that clean even when you were a virgin!"
"Mature, Davis."
"And sticking out your tongue at me isn't any better Adams," Brooke shot back with a grin.
Lucas snickered as he lowered himself into the shaded grass. "I don't think you can beat her, Chase,
"He can't," Brooke confirmed. "But it's damn fun watching him try,"
"I'm feeling very unpopular right about now," Chase groaned. "Hey Luke, Maybe you and team up against these and can we start a whole 'battle of the sexes' deal."
"Consider that very carefully Lucas," Brooke warned her fiancé. "You're chances of getting lucky tonight are hanging in the balance here."
"I…uh love you honey?"
"Yeah sure you do," Brooke laughed giving him a quick kiss that was interrupted by the untimely ringing of her cell phone. "Ooh I better take this. PS you and Chase keep Boyfriend company and I'll be right back."
"A fashion mogul's work is never done," Peyton laughed.
"Nope," Chase agreed as three-year-old Lily Scott made a beeline in her brother's direction.
"Lucas. Come play with me!" she called.
He feigned exhaustion with an exaggerated flop. "Not right now Lily Lou."
"Please Lucas!" she begged. "Pretty, pretty please with fudge on top? Her brother's resistance was quickly melting away and he got up grinning. "Alright but just so you know I'm the best moon bouncer on the planet."
Lily and Anna each took of his hands and dragged him toward the blow-up contraption, their squeals reaching such an earsplitting pitch that Peyton thought the houses' front windows might shatter. She gave a strained smile when she saw Chase wince. "Sorry but the inside voice rule doesn't really have much merit since we aren't technically inside."
Chase shook his head. "It's not that," he replied. "Call didn't go well?" he added to Brooke who snapped her Droid shut plopping down in the Lucas's vacated spot. "I hate her!"
Peyton met eyes with her livid-looking best friend she immediately understood the cause for Chase's grimace. "And why is Bitch being a Brooke? Must've been one hell of a phone call."
"All the way from China," chuckled Brooke. "They heard the commotion and wanted to join the fun."
Brooke's features hardened once more. "I just finished another sparring match with Monster
Mom about trying to go behind my back again and telling Millie to come into work as if she had any jurisdiction over my employees when she is one of them."
"Well seeing as she's so ancient you'd have to count her rings I doubt Victoria is ever going to change. Just do me a favor and never be a bitch like that to your own kid!"
"Given," Brooke replied.
"Good. Hey pumpkin come 'ere," Peyton called to Anna who was still playing with her newly returned cousin.
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm going to set lunch out now and I want you to eat more than a Fruit Pop today."
"No!"
"Anna," Peyton said gently. "You need to eat a healthy lunch every day."
"Why!"
"Because healthy food keeps you strong. Even Scooby Snacks are full of all the good stuff Shaggy needs to make sure Scooby stays healthy."
"Why?"
"Because a dog who's sick and cranky can't solve any mysteries. You don't want to get as cranky as Aunt Brooke is right now on your birthday do you?" Peyton asked.
"Well that wont happen because you are a better mom after only two years than Bi—" Brooke noticed the little girl and stopped to censure herself. "—Victoria has been in my entire lifetime!"
Peyton smiled at her friend, appreciating the vote of confidence. "All right girly, you can play with your friends for ten more minutes while Mommy gets the food ready. Deal
"Deal," Gianna agreed as her mother went into the house.
One of the advantages, Peyton soon found out, of having a chef as a mother figure was that Karen had offered to cook for the party. She had already laid out moat of the food when she came in this morning down to getting a box of frozen tater tots out of the fridge as a side dish. Even someone like Brooke who was impossibly hopeless when it came to cooking could deal with this Peyton thought as she popped the tray in the oven.
God I shouldn't have put those dishes off last night," Peyton muttered to herself glancing at the pile of dirty dishes so high it looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. "The place looks like a slob's cave!" Caring for a toddler and dealing with execs who had been calling the studio all with none too gentle "reminders" that they were waiting for Mia's record, made Peyton further behind on housework (and sleep) than she would've have liked. And of course Nathan was around to help so rarely it was almost like he wasn't there at all.
Sometimes when she brought Anna over to Lucas's in the morning, Peyton couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of what her brother-in-law and best friend shared, anyone could tell that those two were in love by the way they looked each other, the words they used to describe each other were so elegant and carefully chosen. Peyton and Nathan were different in the way they cared for each other. They were both so cautious, guarded. They had gotten married so young… Peyton sighed picking up a half-full bowl of Karen's homemade blueberry pancake batter
"Pey! Peyton honey where are you?"
"In the kitchen babe."
He soon appeared and gave her a slow kiss, the kind they waited for all day. "How long have you been home?"
"Only a minute or two. I just got Anna from Lucas's. Go into the playroom and say hi to her. She's always excited to spend time with Daddy and I know you've been wanting to teach her how to shoot."
"Especially if it means I get to see you in the Ravens uniform again," he whispered huskily.
"Nathan Scott!"
"Yes Peyton Scott!"
His wife swatted him with the dishtowel in her hands. "Here's hoping Anna doesn't get your sense of humor!"
"No my good looks, and charm should be enough but once I teach her how to shoot she'll be unstoppable "Hey what are you doing?"
"Trying to reach the Saran wrap. If I don't wrap this food up it's going to spoil." Peyton explained.
"Here let me get it. It's pretty high up there."
"I'm going to be nice and ignore the aspersions on my height. If you just get my a chair to stand on that would be fine."
Nathan complied, pushing a chair up against the counter before he went in search of Anna. There was a tremendous crash and he rushed back, the crying girl in his arms. "Mommy! Mommy!"
"Mommy!" Gianna wailed again as the guests gathered around the groaning Peyton, her own features twisting to match the pained expression on her mother's face.
"Shhh, Tigger Aunt Brooke's got you," the brunette soothed rocking her back and forth but the usually amiable little girl was clearly not interested in her godmother's comfort.
"Uh-uh!" Her chubby arms folded defiantly.
"Anna sweetie " Peyton breathed the struggling girl coming into focus.
"Mommy!" Before anyone could stop her Gianna scrambled over the toppled chair snuggling at Peyton's side and inadvertently causing her mother to wince.
"Wuss wrong?" Anna wiped the tears away with a shaking hand.
"Even mommies get booboos sometimes." Lucas explained tousling his niece's hair. "But by the time you count to one hundred Mississippi she'll will be ready to help you open presents.
"Uncle Lucas is right. I want you to go outside with Grandma and Lily and I'll be right out, " Peyton instructed trying to keep the quaver of her voice. Karen scooped her granddaughter up without question offering the other hand to her one daughter and led them out onto the porch.
Andy (who it turned out had previous experience as an EMT) quickly knelt beside the young blonde and started delegating tasks to those around him.
"You…?"
"Mouth."
Andy raised his eyebrows then shrugged. "Mouth then. Mouth I want you to sit behind her and keep her from hitting her head if she startles. Lucas, Brooke," Andy called indicating for each of them to grasp a hand.
"All right Peyton tell us if any of this hurts," Brooke said kissing her friend's knuckles. Peyton wasn't aware that five minutes could so long or painful until Andy felt the area around her left shoulder. She clenched her teeth but couldn't avoid crying out. "I heard it crack," she panted.
"It looks like a broken collarbone brought on by a bad landing" he replied. ". I don't really have the things I would need to sling it up with me. You really did a number on yourself Peyton, this is going to have to be looked over at the hospital."
"No," said Peyton forcefully. "I'll go in a couple hours when the party's over."
"Don't be stubborn baby girl," scolded Skills from above her. "If Andy can't do anything for you here than you do need attention from the pros."
"What about Gianna?"
"She'll definitely have an interesting story to tell when she grows up," Mia laughed.
"Yeah 'my mom sent my second birthday in a damn sling because she…" Skills thought for a minute, "scaled a stone castle…with a fire-breathing dragon in the tower! Yeah."
"Work in progress, Skills?" Lucas chuckled.
"Hey man just because some of us aren't published authors…"
They were quieted by a deep growl from the back of Brooke's throat. "In case Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dumber haven't noticed her laying there, is in pain. Kindly finish this brilliant new story in the car!"
Both boys looked at their shoes in shame. "Sorry," the whispered in unison and Lucas immediately lifted Peyton into his arms for a quicker transport.
Brooke nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now whose car is nearest?"
"Mine." Deb raised her hand a key ring around one finger. "Take her this way Lucas."
"No wait," Peyton cried. "I want to tell Anna where we're going so she's not worried."
"Peyton, don't you think Anna would be happier hanging with Luke's mom and sister until we…"
"Skills Taylor, you bring me my daughter or so help me…"
"All right, we'll get her," Lucas assured seeing the pain in her eyes. Beckoning to the three outside he turned the chair upright with his foot and sat himself and Peyton down.
Lily giggled taking in the scene before her. "Why Peyton on your lap? She too big."
"Well Lily, Anna. I fell down and Daddy—Andy—thinks the big doctors well be able to fix me up really good and maybe the nice nurses would like to have some birthday cake with us."
"No nerdses Mommy! MY CAKE!"
Lucas's eyes shifted around the room. "Pey I'll…Skills will take you to the car. Brooke and I will handle this."
"You will?"
Brooke nodded. "Yeah we're getting married and one day we want to have children. Our first tag team lecture will be good practice."
"Okay Pretty Girl," Lucas coaxed when they were alone. "Do you want to tell us what's wrong or are Auntie Brooke and I guessing?"
Anna positioned herself so that her uncle and aunt supported her between them. They bent their heads. "Mommy hurt!" she whispered her voice catching.
"Yeah babes your mommy has a few booboos," Brooke replied brushing a strand of hair out of her little goddaughter's eyes. "But that's the doctor's job to make her feel better. "
"'Ere Daddy Unca Lucas?"
Lucas and Brooke exchanged looks neither of them wanting to lie to her. After a while Luke spoke "Sweetie I'm going to call Daddy right now. He's really worried."
He nudged Brooke who forced a smile. "Why don't me and Tigger go down to the hospital and wait for you two there. Peyton must be settled by now."
"Good idea. Lily's extra car seat is still in the car. I'll call Nathan."
And tell him he better come soon because there won't be any cake left if your friends can help it," Brooke cautioned knowing full well that as hard as Peyton had tried to get her husband to come home Lucas would have better luck whipping him into shape. Or at least she hoped so. But all the same she found herself humming a familiar sad tine as she drove.
He's gonna be like you Dan. You know he turned out just like you."
Title from Harry Chapin's Cat's In The Cradle, hoped you liked and please review.