Into His Arms

Chapter Three—Family Tree

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"An' Bwooke?"

"Yeah Sweet Pea."

"Id smells funny," Anna wrinkled her button nose. Brooke laughed. Gianna was truly her best friend's daughter. Lucas always took Anna to the doctor's office when it was it was time to get her shots because Peyton had a true fear of needles and hospitals in general. According to Larry it had to do with her seeing Anna senior hooked up to various machines when the doctors were trying to save her.

"We know honey," Karen assured shifting a fidgety Lily to her other knee. "We'll be out of here in…"

"Family of Peyton Scott?" A nurse wearing a set of pastel scrubs peeked her head out of the partially open emergency room.

"Dat's Momma," Anna cried. "'Les go!"

"Let's go," Skills repeated and the whole crowd stood up and walked forward, as synchronized as professional Rockettes.

The nurse's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute, you can't all be Mrs. Scott's immediate family?"

""Yes we are." The designer set her goddaughter down and squirmed her way to the front of the crowd. She smiled sweetly at the star-struck woman.

"Brooke Davis?"

"Brooke Davis-Scott," she corrected. " Yeah that's me. Listen 'Abbey' you seem to me like a pretty reasonable person. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I popped in to see my sister-in-law, would you?"

"Mrs. Scott is your…well I'm so sorry of course you can see her! You can all see her! No more than three at a time of course."

"Of course," Brooke agreed. "Could you please let me know her room number is?"

"She's in recovery room 42A. She's resting right now but take as long as you want. I just love your designs Miss Davis…Scott.

Brooke nodded. "Thank you, and I love your heart-listening-o-scope thingy. You have a fantastic eye for color."

"What time will they running your wedding special?"

"My wedding special?" Brooke looked at her like she had just grown a second head.

"My Big Fat Glamorous Wedding taped the ceremony didn't they?"

"Oh that special. Yeah they did it should air by the end of next month."

"When will they be running your wedding special," Mouth chuckled as he Brooke and Anna rode the elevator up to Peyton's floor. "Oh Miss Davis-Scott I just love your designs."

"Shut up My designs got us in didn't they?"

"Yeah they did," he conceded serious again. I almost cracked up when you gave her that look. Did you even mention a date to Lucas yet?"

"We've discussed it a few times," Brooke mused. "But when he gets home from LA. I'm going to tell him that I want to wait until my matron of honor's arm is out of a sling." The phone inside Brooke's purse began to vibrate against her hip. "Could you get that, Tigger is sort of asleep here."

Mouth reached in and grabbed it. "'Incoming Call From Lucas'", he read touching the Answer button on the screen. "Hey Luke…yeah we're headed up right now. Well Anna's kind of sleeping on her shoulder…okay I'll tell her. Bye. He says to tell you they just touched down and think about it only left like two hours ago."

"Well I did inherit the Davis jet when Dad died so it takes off when I tell it to. One of the upsides to having a rich emotionally absent father," Brooke said sarcastically before noticing the distant look on Mouth's face. "You know I'm going against my own policy here but if you and a certain employee of mine want a romantic weekend somewhere exotic…"

Mouth gritted his teeth as the elevator doors open. "Millie and I broke up!" he blurted before sprinting toward Peyton's room.

" Fortitude Sports Agency Clayton Eva…"

"Yeah, yeah I know who you are. Listen Clay I know it's some kind of huge honor for my ass of a brother to get asked to attend this camp. I get the publicity thing I do. Believe me Lindsay's pulled me away from home a few times for a last minute book promotion…"

"Lucas if there is a point to this whole spiel, kindly let me know," Clayton snapped. The other Scott brother really was as prattling and self-righteous as Nathan had said. "By the way if you see Peyton tell her that I really did try but I couldn't get Nathan's appearances canceled in time for him to come back to Tree Hill. It will save me a call. Oh and if she bitches about it remind her he was an NBA player before he was ever a husband so she knew what she was getting into. He did tell me to tell her and now I guess I'll tell you he's sending Anna a big birthday present with his deepest apologies. Give her a kiss from Uncle Clay as well."

Lucas could feel bile creeping up his throat. "You know I would but if 'Uncle Clay' actually gave a damn about her he would tell her daddy to forget about that camp and get his ass back to Tree Hill to be with his wife and child. Goodbye Clay."

As if his promise to Anna wasn't enough incentive Lucas was glad enough to be here just so he could wipe that smug look off Clay's face. Even though they were on the phone Clay's voice was enough to tell Lucas the exact expression he was wearing.

"Where should I tell the taxi to take you sir?" asked Brooke's pilot who had used the time Lucas was on the phone to load his things into a cab.

"The Shasta Cove Boys And Girls Club," Lucas answered.

The cabbie through a rolled down window and poked his face out. "I'll be honest I don't think you'll be able to get there. Place is packed with little kids from the Special Olympics. Great idea you know letting them play alongside their idols. You know that Bobcats shooting guard is the youngest invitee ever. Nathan Scott. From what I've heard he seems like a really good guy."

Lucas nodded. "I think I heard that," he muttered. You wouldn't be thinking that if you knew him personally. Instead he pulled an old picture of Nathan wearing the Bobcat jersey before his first game. "Well my little niece is a big fan and her birthday is today so I figured a personally autographed picture would make a pretty awesome present. Would you mind waiting?" Lucas asked as they pulled up to the crowded venue.

Despite loud protests from bystanders he strode right under the red velvet ropes marking the basketball court and walked straight up to Nathan as he sank a free throw. One of the bodyguards stepped forward protectively.

"It's cool Julian," Nathan assured and he moved aside. "So Luke you came this far to watch your little brother play.

Brooke was kind enough to lend me her jet, she had to stay in Tree Hill."

"You didn't happen to bring Peyt and Anna along? We haven't made one of my games a family affair in such a long time. I was kind of hoping to have my daughter on her birthday, but I couldn't suggest it because Peyton would probably just bitch about 'having to work'. And she wonders why I never come home. Did she send you here?"

Lucas could hear Brooke's voice ringing around him. "Luke be careful. Remember your heart condition!" All concerns of his HCM flew out the window as the Scott brothers stood toe to toe.

"You know what," Lucas breathed his voice taking on a deadly calm. "I'm not gonna clobber you right now. As much as I would relish every single minute of it, I'm not going to clobber you and you want to know why: because when I looked my scared little niece in the eye and told her I would bring her daddy home it was with the understanding that he would be in one piece. But let me be clear if you take one more step down the Dan Scott path of parenting, with God as my witness you will be seeing Keith again a hell of a lot sooner than you planned! My sister and niece will not suffer anymore on your account than they already have."