"Ok, so I'm just going to ask instead of wonder." Peyton continued as Lucas shut the door behind her and Brooke. "Are you two… you know, together?"
"Oh, no."
"No way!" Lucas and Brooke said simultaneously. Lucas continued.
"That was Samantha who opened the door, my wife. Brooke's just here to pick up Tristan."
"Oh. Tristan?"
Brooke went over to the stairs and shouted up.
"Tristan, Katie!"
"What?" a voice, who Peyton guessed was Tristan, shouted back.
"Peyton's here to meet you." Lucas replied.
"Like, the Peyton?" Two children ran down the stairs. A young girl and a pre-pubescent boy stood and stared at the woman their parents talked about so much.
"So," Brooke prompted. "Introduce yourselves."
The girl stepped forward.
"I'm Katie Karen Scott. I'm nearly five. This is my daddy." She pointed at Lucas, then at Tristan. "This is my half brother. My mommy is in the kitchen. That's all. Thank you." Katie stepped back.
Lucas laughed and looked at Tristan.
"Um, I'm Tristan Daniel Scott-Davis." He began reluctantly. "I'm twelve. I live with mom – Brooke – but I come and stay with Lucas – Dad – every weekend."
"Right honey, can you go and pack your stuff? I'm going for dinner with Ross and we need to pick up the sitter." Brooke started leading Tristan towards the stairs.
"But mom, can't I just stay here and then you can pick me up later? Please?"
Brooke looked at Lucas.
"It's ok with me." Lucas said.
"Yes!" Tristan raced back up the stairs, closely followed by Katie. Lucas led Peyton to the kitchen and asked Brooke if she had time for coffee.
"Oh, what the hell, yeah." She replied.
When the coffee was made (and Peyton had been properly introduced to Samantha and little Callie Emma, Samantha and Lucas's second), Brooke, Lucas and Peyton sat down at the kitchen table.
"So, who's Ross?" Peyton asked, and Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Ah, Ross Santini." He sighed.
"My boyfriend. Lucas doesn't approve." Brooke giggled. "He's the daddy of my little girl here." She patted her stomach. "Ross, not Lucas."
"It's a girl? Lucas butted in. "But I thought-"
"Tree Hill doctors don't tell you the sex of the baby, yeah. But I want a girl, and what Brooke Davis wants, Brooke Davis gets."
"Ah, you haven't changed one bit." Peyton took a sip of her coffee. "What about Haley and Nathan?"
"Together and still married, surprisingly. They managed to make up after Haley got back from her tour." Lucas started.
"Her tour?" Peyton almost choked.
"I'll explain later. Anyway, now they have three kids, and one on the way."
"We're going to be baby buddies." Brooke whispered.
"Are they still in Tree Hill?"
"They live over the other side of town. On the same road as Jake, actually."
"Jake!" This time Peyton almost spilled her coffee.
"Ah, I knew that would interest you. Yeah, Jake. He came back – what was it, six years ago? Anyway, Jenny's like fourteen now."
"And … is he single?" Peyton asked.
"Honestly P. Sawyer, you and your lust! No, I'm afraid he lives with his fiancée. What was her name, Lucas?"
"Um, Carla. Look, I'm going to call Haley and Nathan, tell them the good news." Lucas got up from the table and went into the hallway.
"So, Peyton." Brooke moved closer. "As far as I know, you were at a wedding in New Jersey…"
Brooke remembered the day like it was yesterday. There was a letter on the kitchen table addressed "BROOKE". She opened it and started reading.
Dear Brooke,
I'm not at a wedding and I'm not coming back the day after tomorrow. I can't tell you where I'm going, because I know you'll try to find me. Don't worry about me – I'll come back in my own time. I'm so sorry for what I did to you – it was wrong and you didn't deserve it. You'll always be my best friend. Tell Lucas, Haley and Nathan I love them.
I just had to get away.
P x
They – Brooke, Lucas, Haley and Nathan had put up a few posters and placed a few ads, but, as they expected, it didn't come to anything. Peyton was an impulsive person. And impulse could have taken her pretty much anywhere – the west coast, New York, even Europe if she really got carried away. Then Brooke had Tristan and Haley found out she pregnant too, so they had all just got on with their lives and waited for Peyton to come back.
Peyton told Brooke all about Georgia, all about her career, and all about Nick.
"You were engaged and he dumped you!" Brooke exclaimed. "And they say chivalry is dead."
"Yeah. Anyway, it made me think about what I wanted to do with my life, and I thought 'Hey, let's go back to Tree Hill!', and here I am."
"And here you are."
Lucas re-entered the room.
"You took a long time." Brooke remarked.
"I was checking up on Katie and Tristan." He replied.
"Everything ok?"
"Oh, Katie was calling Tristan 'Tristie' and making him play Barbie, but apart from that, yeah."
Peyton laughed. "Is she always like that?"
"Pretty much. Katie has a huge crush on Tristan, and he plays along with it because well, I guess he likes the attention." Lucas said.
"A child of Brooke Davis's, liking attention? Never!" Peyton laughed, her smile dripping with friendly sarcasm. Brooke playfully punched her on the arm.
Anyway, Haley and Nathan are free tomorrow, if you want to see them."
"Sure." Peyton nodded.
"I can pick you up if you like. Where are you staying?"
Peyton put down her cup and looked up at Lucas.
"Yeah, I meant to talk to you about that…"