November 9th, 20011
Tree Hill, North Carolina
Lucas Scott's Kitchen
Lucas grabbed Derek's bag from the car and slung it over his shoulder, the hard leather strap cutting into his shoulder, weighed down by the immense weight of the bag. He let out a small groan when he really felt the weight settle into his back as he made his way from the car to the front porch, where the other four bags that he had brought in were all laying, next to Mia.
"You could help, you know." He muttered, a dark tone to his voice, as he let the bag drop to the floor and he took a seat on one of the chairs on the porch, next to Mia, savoring the missing weight.
Mia laughed, shaking her head. "No, not really. I'm a rock star. We don't carry our own stuff. That would be absurd."
"Why do I get the feeling that you're still paying me back for Lindsay?"
"Well, because I am. Which was my next reason." She smiled, laughing at his dejected face. "Oh come on." She grabbed two of the bags and, still chuckling, she made her way into the Scott house. "Where do you want my stuff?"
"Uhh… Hold on." Lucas paused for a second as he dragged Derek's three bags into the house, and then contemplated where their guests were going to sleep. "You can sleep in Lilly's room, and Derek can take the spare, if that's okay, your highness."
"Well, I think it'll be just perfect."
"Glad to be of service then." He said, pointing out his little sister's room before he moved to put Derek's things in his room. "Kitchen, when you're done unpacking."
"Can do." She replied, smiling when she made her way out to the kitchen a half hour later. She made her way over to the counter, leaning into it as she watched Lucas cook. "What cha making?"
"Dinner."
"Funny. What are we having?"
"Penne with Vodka sauce, garlic bread, and Tiramisu with Peyton's favorite kind of Espresso for dessert."
Mia's face paled at the mention of the food choices, but Lucas wasn't paying much attention to her. She wasn't one hundred percent sure that Peyton was pregnant, but she was about ninety five percent positive. Everything, from her vomiting and nightmares, to the tiredness Lucas had told her about pointed to that. Plus, when she mouthed the word to Peyton in the car, Peyton had automatically tensed up. So, Peyton thought she was preggers too. "Any particular reasons, for you know, those particular food choices?"
"They're some of Peyton's favorites, why? Do you not like them?"
"No, but, I'm under 18, so I can't have any alcohol." She really wasn't the best at lying.
"I've seen you drink." He was facing her now, "What's going on?"
"Nothing, I didn't ever drink a lot, before, but now that I've got all these fans, I decided that it would probably be best, to set a good example." Yeah, great lie.
"Well then, it's a good thing I'm not asking you to drink, isn't it." He looked at her for another second more, a confused expression on his face, before he shook his head and made his way back to the stove.
"The Vodka sauce?"
"Has no alcohol in it. It all burns off. You could give this to a pregnant woman, or her kid. My mom did."
She sighed to herself, one food down, now just the dessert to go. "I don't know if Peyton's going to be in the mood for espresso." Better not to lie, just to go around the truth. It was easier.
"It's her favorite dessert in the world, second only to chocolate chip cookies." He smiled to himself, laughing at an inside joke, but Mia saw this as a perfect opportunity.
"Great! Well then, let's make cookies. I can do that, and you're going to have your hands full with the meal, so you know, I could help. And I hate Tiramisu." She added for good measure.
Lucas was still looking at her like she was crazy, but he sighed in resignation. "Okay. Fine Mia. The recipe is in the cupboard, you get started on those." Mia laughed to herself, she had successfully avoided all the major food choices, and she was sure it wouldn't look to odd if Peyton refused a cup of coffee. Unless that was all Lucas was getting to drink.
"Hey Lucas…" She asked a few minutes later, kneading the cookie dough between her fingers.
"Yes, Mia."
"What do we have to drink, for tonight?"
"Well, I was going to have coffee, wine coolers and beer, but seeing as your on a no alcohol kick, and a no coffee kick…"He trailed off, freezing in place, all the blood daring from his face at once. He stood for a few seconds, not moving, before he turned to Mia. "Do you know what's wrong with Peyton?"
"No." She said quickly, but she could feel the beginnings of a smirk forming on her face. All she could do was hope that he would buy the lie.
"Mia." He hadn't.
"Kind of." There was another pause, and Mia could practically hear the pieces clicking in his head. Nightmares, fatigue, nausea, no alcohol, no caffeine.
His voice was weak when he spoke next. "She doesn't have the flu, does she?"
November 9th, 2011
Tree Hill, North Carolina
The Parking Lot Behind the Doctor's Office
Derek and Peyton sat in the Comet, both stunned into silence by the other's admission. Peyton had her hand curled around the steering wheel, as if she was about to back out, but the car was still off. Derek was sitting next to her, and his face looked as though he was battling between embarrassment at his own situation, and shock.
It was Peyton who spoke first, as she tucked her blonde curls behind her head. "You should move in with us." Her voice was calculated, calm, and she nodded, as if she was just hearing the idea for the first time. "Yeah. There's an extra room, we can re-do it for you, and you can stay with Lucas and I."
"Peyton, I can't take advantage of you like that. I have enough money set aside for a home, or at least an apartment. It's enough to hold me over until I get a job."
"No. It wouldn't be taking advantage of us. We're going to need all the help we can get, and if you need a job, I need some help down at TRIC…"
"Peyton…" Peyton looked over, making eyes contact with her brother for the first time. She smiled, she knew he was about to break.
"Derek, it'll really be helping out, with Lucas' second book just being finished, and Haley and TRIC and the label, and the new baby, we'll need all the help we can get." Please."
Derek sighed; honestly, he knew that he didn't have another option. He barely had enough money right now for food, let alone a place to stay. This was his only option, and it was a good one. "At least promise me that you'll let me watch the baby when it comes, so that you don't have to pay for a sitter."
Peyton squealed, happily throwing his arms around her brother. "Good, and I'm sure that Lucas…" She trailed off, freezing in place, all the blood daring from her face at once. "Oh god. What am I going to tell Lucas? I promised him that I just had the flu. Ugh, and I promised him I was on the pill."
"Were you?" This was definitely not what Derek wanted to be talking with his little sister about, but it didn't look like he was going to get out of it, and it was probably the least he could do, seeing as she just gave him room and board.
"Of course. I honestly don't know how this happened." She seemed appalled that he could even think she wasn't on the pill.
"It doesn't always work, Peyton."
"I know. But Lucas is still going to kill me."
"A, This is just as much Lucas' responsibility as it is yours, and B, I honestly think that he's going to be happy. He loves you."
"You think?"
"Yeah. I do. But he isn't going to be happy if he found out that his pregnant wife was sitting out in the cold, so you better get us home before he starts to worry.
Peyton nodded, she knew that she had to go home, or Lucas would just get more worried about her. Reflexively, she reached for the radio, turning it to a station that she had always loved. She was happily surprised to find an older song on the radio. It was a Gavin Rossdale song, off his first album, Love Remains the Same. She knew the song by heart, and she found herself singing along to the lyrics, and at the same time, hearing them, as if for the first time.
A
thousand times I've seen you standing
Gravity like lunar landing
You make me want to run till I find you
I shut the world away
from here
I drift to you, you're all I hear
As everything we
know fades to black
November 9th, 20011
Tree Hill, North Carolina
Lucas Scott's Kitchen
"Are you okay Lucas?" Mia asked, frowning as she spoke up, breaking the quiet that had engulfed them for the past ten minutes. Lucas had been cooking, and pointedly ignoring anything she said, so after a few minutes, she just gave up talking.
He didn't respond, and she hadn't thought he would, but, she figured it was better if he got this out of his system before Peyton told him. The quiet still was bothering her though, so she began to scour the room for a radio. She found one on the other side of the kitchen, and she got up. It was obviously one of Peyton's things, because that stereo looked slightly more advanced then a car, but Mia knew how to work it, so she quickly flipped it on. The first station, the one that it had been on, was playing one of her songs, she sighed switching the stations. Next was an oldies station and the one after that was a station that she knew played current music, but she didn't recognize the song. She was about to change it when she heard Lucas' voice cut in.
"Leave that one on."
"I don't know the song." She wasn't going to change it, but she figured she could still argue with him if she wanted to.
"Love Remains the Same." He said as he finished the food, and setting the table. He moved over to where Mia was standing, and she saw that he was quietly singing the along with the radio.
I
find a place where we escape
Take you with me for the space
The
city buzz sounds just like a fridge
I walk the streets through
Seven
I have to find just where you are
The faces seem to
blur
They're all the same
Mia reached over and turned the volume up, finding that she really did like this song. And with both of them listening to the song, neither of them heard Peyton and Derek come in.
Half
the time the world is ending
Truth is I am done pretending
"Hey Lucas." Peyton whispered, her face pale, as she and Derek stepped into the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"
"Penne with Vodka sauce" He whispered, getting up and moving towards her. They both stood awkwardly in front of each other.
I never
thought that I
Had anymore to give
You're pushing me so
far
Here I am without you
Drink to all that we have
lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
But, love
remains the same
Lucas stood, looking into her eyes, and he saw the fear. He didn't need to ask her to know what was wrong, what she was afraid of. She was afraid of being a bad mother, of letting everyone down, and she was afraid that Lucas wouldn't be happy. And then, finally, he knew. He knew that no matter what happened, it would all be okay. And he knew that he could at least fix one thing that she was afraid of. "I love you." He said simply, kissing her. "I will always love you."
"Even if I asked Derek to move in with us?" She asked quietly.
"Even then."
"Even if…" She trailed off. She had no idea how to tell him. She didn't know whether he would be happy, and despite Derek's assurances, she couldn't convince herself that this was good thing.
"Especially then." He nodded, moving his hands from her shoulders to her stomach. "Especially then."
A/N: I don't own OTH or Love Remains the Same. Review please! 20 reviews and I'll update!