Um, not much to say today except vote to save One Tree Hill! You probably know all about it by now, but there's a link on my profile page if you want to vote or find out more. Come on, you know you do…
Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Enjoy this one! -TF
"Ok, so Haley said she'd be here by two, and that's…" Brooke checked her watch "five minutes. So we have five minutes to suggest things for the wedding without her actually starting to organise them."
Peyton smiled. "No, actually I wanted to talk to you about… you know, Ross and Jamie and all that."
"Yeah, what about them and 'all that?'"
"How're you holding up?" Peyton placed her hand on Brooke's knee.
"Alright, I guess. Looking after Jamie on my own, I realise it's exactly the same as when Ross was around, because he never did anything anyway. To be honest, really, the only thing I miss is the sex." Brooke sighed.
"Whoa, too much information, B. Davis!"
"Sorry." Brooke smiled. "I'm assuming Ross isn't going to ask for custody, which isn't so bad, but I do want Jamie to have some sort of father figure in his life."
"Well, you've got-"
The doorbell rang and cut Peyton off mid-sentence.
"Damn, why does Haley always have to be on time?" Brooke moaned.
"Oh, be quiet. I want to plan my wedding!"
Peyton let Haley through the door and sat her down on the sofa. She smiled excitedly at Brooke.
"Ok, let's start." Haley pulled out a notebook and pen from her bag. "So we have the five most important questions when we're planning a wedding – who, what, when, where and why – I'll tell you about them as we go along. Ok, first one – when are you planning on having the big day?" Haley looked at Peyton, who was looking back, bewildered.
"Have you done this before?"
"Yeah, I planned like three of my sisters' weddings. I'm hoping you'll be easier then Taylor, at least. So, answer the question."
Peyton got out her diary. "Well, the baby is due on… March 14th, so we were thinking maybe like a month or two after that."
"Right. Now, where and what. What events are you going to have – receptions, things like that – and where are you going to have them? Oh, and where are you holding the actual ceremony?"
"Oh, Jake's family is quite religious, so he wants to have it in the church on Keaton Avenue, and I don't mind."
"I'll check when it's free." Haley scribbled something down and Brooke peered over her shoulder to see what it was, but Haley smiled and hid the page.
"Then we thought maybe we'll have an afternoon reception and a party in the evening-" Peyton continued.
"I thought of the perfect places for those. Leave it to me." Brooke interrupted.
"And we'll organise the bridal shower, and get Luke and Nathan to do the bachelor party." Haley checked her notes. "Oh, are you going to have an engagement party?"
"Yeah, Jenny's doing it for us. It'll probably be sometime next month. She is being so sweet and welcoming about the baby and the wedding."
"Speaking of Jenny, who are going to be bridesmaids, flower girls, groomsmen?" Brooke asked.
"Um, obviously you two and Jenny are going to be bridesmaids, then Jake wants Luke and Nathan to be groomsmen and his brother David to be best man. Then maybe Laura as one flower girl-" Peyton looked at Haley hopefully, who smiled and nodded "-and we'll ask Lucas and Samantha if Katie wants to do it with her."
"Ok, the moment of truth." Brooke sat up. "Who is going to be your maid of honour?"
"Well, I love you both dearly, but-" Peyton started, but was cut off by Jamie starting to cry in the next room. Brooke got up to go to him, but Peyton stopped her. "Let me do it." She said, holding her stomach. "I'll need the practice."
"Oh, thanks. It sounds as if he needs his diaper changing, so check that first." Brooke sat back down and started talking to Haley.
Peyton went into Jamie's bedroom and lifted him out of his cot. Smelling that yes, it was his diaper, she lay him down on the changing table and started to undress him, she tried to remember the time when her boss in Atlanta, Heidi, had brought her baby daughter Ruby in and had changed her in the middle of the office. Luckily, Peyton found she remembered most of the process. She was almost finished when she saw that Jamie had a little rash, just at the top of his legs. Having not seen any cream in the main part of the changing bag, she tried the front pocket.
"There you are." Peyton murmured and pulled out the pot of baby cream sitting in the pocket. Underneath she noticed a small bottle and, being a natural nosy girl, pulled it out.
"Peyton came shopping with me the other day," Brooke, in the other room, was waffling on to Haley, who was trying to look vaguely interested. "and she bought like all the bridal magazines there. I swear, she is so in love with Jake, it's adorable… she would do anything for him. And it's so cute that they're having a baby. We always said that she's be the first to have kids, but there you go." She noticed Peyton standing at the door. "Oh, hey P. Sawyer, what's up?"
Peyton held up the bottle of pills. "What the hell are you thinking!"
"Peyton, it's not what it looks like, I swear." Brooke said, running over and trying to get the bottle back.
"It looks like drugs, Brooke. And in your son's changing bag? What kind of mother are you?"
"What?" Brooke stood back. "Don't you dare start telling me I'm a bad mother. It was a moment of weakness; I haven't taken any since the night I bought them. Let me tell you something -I am doing my absolute best for Jamie, and if that's not good enough for you, then I think you should get out." Brooke pointed towards the door, close to tears.
Peyton stayed standing where she was.
"I said get out."
Peyton grabbed her bag and slammed the door behind her, leaving a stunned Haley on the sofa and a crying Brooke by Jamie's door.
P.S. I don't think Jake has a brother, but I spent like half an hour trying to decide who best man was going to be, so I invented one, and he's called David. So there you go. Hopefully I'll update in the next two weeks, but no promises.
