A/N:
Hi everyone, first of all, I want to say how sad I have been since the passing of Heath Ledger. He was one of my first teenage crushes, ever since I saw him in the much underrated flick, 10 Things I Hate About You. At my high school it was like Heath mania ran rampant when the film was released. No matter what the news report suggest, Heath was a great actor, and he will be sorely missed. Anyway on a brighter note, I am finally updating and I really would love more reviews (it might cheer me up enough to update again!!) BTW I don't own OTH
Chapter 17
Time After Time
"P.Sawyer- Jagielski, Tutor Mom?" Brooke said, walking slowly down the hall
"Brooke, how is she?" Haley asked
"Why don't you see for yourselves?"
"Really?"
"Go ahead" Lucas said, coming out of the NICU and standing behind Brooke.
Peyton and Haley walked into the NICU, and Brooke and Lucas trailed behind
"Are you sure about this Brooke?"
"I'm 100 sure" Brooke said following Lucas back in
Haley led the group as they trailed back to the baby girl.
"Brooke, she's so beautiful" Peyton gushed
"She is" Haley said gleefully
"We wanted you two be the first to know, that we decided on a name" Brooke said, sitting down slowly on a nearby chair.
"Well?" Haley asked impatiently
Lucas nodded toward Brooke, motioning her to continue.
"Introducing….Ella Penelope Davis" she said grinning widely
"Oh Brooke" Peyton hugged Brooke
"There's more" Lucas said grinning at the scene before him.
"Lucas and I were talking and considering you two have been with me pretty much every step of the way of the pregnancy, and the birth, we want both of you to be Ella's godmother"
"Brooke, we would be honoured" Haley said hugging Brooke
"Haley, need air-
"Funny"
"I thought so"
"Excuse me girls, I've got to get me a godfather" Lucas said
"Ok" Brooke said waving at Lucas as he exited the room
"Brooke she's beautiful" Peyton said, hugging Brooke again
"She's perfect" she said mesmerised by her baby
"Do you know when you get to hold her?" Haley asked
"They told me when she gains some weight, and her lungs become more developed, and she can get taken off the ventilator"
"How are you holding it together, Brooke? I would be falling apart at the seams if I were you" Haley said
"It's hard, but I'm banking on my kid being a fighter like her mother, plus Lucas has been a great help"
"Speaking of Lucas, you two seem to be getting along" Peyton offered
"I guess. I mean I can't deny him the right to see his daughter, and Ella should have the right to know her father, even if we're not together" Brooke said, continuing to stare at the newborn.
"That's really good Brooke" Haley said as the women watched Ella look around widely
"Never in a million years did I think I could love someone so much" Brooke said as Ella grasped her finger tight.
"Welcome to motherhood, Tigger."
"So how does fatherhood feel, Luke?" Nathan said as they sat down in the cafeteria for a much needed coffee.
"Better then I ever imagined"
"So have you and Brooke discussed names?"
"Yep" Lucas said cryptically
"So did you decide?" Nathan asked, secretly wondering if Brooke would include Lucas in the decision process
"Brooke chose Ella, I suggested Penelope as her middle name" Lucas revealed
"Penelope? Interesting choice considering Brooke's folks lack of involvement in her life" he said somewhat bitterly. Nathan had become more of an over protective brother in the latter years then just a friend to Brooke. Nathan and Haley were the pillars that Brooke had lent on particularly after her parents died. After everything Brooke had been through, Nathan was nearly as protective of Brooke as he was of Haley and James.
"Penelope was Brooke's grandmother's name. She died when we were high school freshmen; Brooke was closer to her then anyone else in the Davis family" Lucas admitted quietly, not able to quite look at Nathan, recalling the pain Brooke went through during high school.
"Wow I never knew that about Brooke"
"Yeah I guess a lot of people underestimate her" Lucas said seriously
"Including you?" Nathan inquired
"Well yes to start of with. But I have known Brooke since we were 16 that she was destined to do great things, although I didn't think it would include being the mother of my child"
"Really you didn't have one of those talks when you and Brooke were together?" Nathan was curious as even though life had turned out the way it did, he always thought that Lucas would take the more traditional route-marriage then kids, not the other way around.
"No, not all of us were married and pregnant by senior year" Lucas said jokingly
"Touché"
"I guess I was too busy being the absentee in our relationship that we never talked about it. It was more something Peyton and I talked about" Lucas said honestly
"And look how things turned out, man. You have a baby girl with one person who you took for granted in the first place."
"Yeah I guess so" he said smiling
"You should go spend time with your family, Lucas" Nathan said
"Ok" he said getting up from the table, bumping fists with Nathan.
"Oh and one last thing, Nate?" Lucas said before he was exiting the cafeteria
"Yeah?"
"Brooke and I want you to be Ella's godfather"
"Thanks, Luke, I'd love to." Nathan replied.
"Well Brooke and I thought we should return the favour. Hopefully you are a better uncle then I have been to Jamie." Lucas said admittedly
"Luke-"
"No it's my own fault, I guess I have been avoiding everyone in hope that I could move on with my life away from Tree Hill" he confessed
"Well I see it caught up with you"
"Yeah no kidding"
"Are you happy, the way everything turned out?" Nathan asked earnestly
"Almost, I still want to be with Brooke, it just took me too long to realise it"
"Typical Lucas. Just like last time" Nathan said shaking his head in disbelief
"Yeah. And Brooke is more determined then ever to not let me back in" Lucas sighed
"Well maybe go show Brooke that you are there for her and Ella" Nathan offered quietly
"Thanks, Nate"
"No problem, Bro"
"Brooke is going to kill us" Peyton said
"Not necessarily" Haley called from the lounge room.
"Well she may kill you two, but she'll still love me" Nathan replied
"Oh why's that?" Peyton asked
"Because I'm the one who just painted the room" Nathan said smugly
"Yeah right big shot, just keep painting" Peyton said
"Can't I help?" Haley called out
"No" Peyton and Nathan chorused
"Geez" she said as she organised the baby bag
Nathan and Peyton continued to paint the walls of Brooke's spare room. Nathan continued to paint the room purple, while Peyton worked on the feature wall.
"When is Brucas due home anyway?" Nathan asked
"Not until 8ish. They have spent every second they could in the maternity ward with Ella" Peyton replied as she grabbed Nathan's wrist to determine the time.
"Thank god she is improving; I think Brooke was getting a bit disheartened that she couldn't even hold her daughter" Haley said as she rubbed her stomach in a absent minded manner.
"Particularly when Ella is almost 3 weeks old, but at least she is breathing on her own now"
"The docs are still monitoring her from the ward though, something about the size Ella's brain" Haley said
"Lucas has been there a lot though"
"Yeah they seem to be actually getting along" Nathan replied
"Ok, all the baby equipment is sorted out, and I have made enough food to feed a small army" Haley said
"Alright Haley!" Peyton said as she continued to paint the feature wall
"So is the base colour" Nathan said proudly
"Hey, Nate is doesn't look like a complete disaster" Payton said as she looked over from her stationary position
"Thanks Sawyer"
"No problem"
Brooke stood outside the nursery, looking in on the babies within. More specifically looking at one baby with dark brown hair and sky blue eyes. She could look at her baby all day. A tap on her shoulder awoke her from the trance she was in.
A man with dark hair and matching brown eyes stood opposite her.
"Chase?" she asked surprisingly
"Brooke, how are you?"
"Good, and you?" she said, hugging him.
"Terrific" he said, pointing to the baby boy in the centre of the room
"Oh he's adorable, do you have a name yet?" she said, moving her gaze between her ex and his newborn.
"Yeah, Benjamin Henry" he said, with a smile that Brooke rarely saw from him, even when they were going out.
"That really suits him" Brooke said, smiling
"Yeah Claire thinks so"
"Claire?"
"My wife, she's in the room down the hall" he pointed
"So I want all the details mister, when did you get married, how'd you meet?" she asked, punching his arm slightly
"We met at USC and married a year ago" Chase said, fiddling with his wedding ring.
"That's great, Chase" she said sincerely
"What about you, which bubs' yours?" he asked scanning the nursery.
"How do you know I'm not visiting?" Brooke asked slyly
"Well you have the new mom glow for one"
"Ah"
"And I saw you on the news on awhile ago with Haley and Peyton" he revealed
"That would be right, got to love the media. Ella Penelope is over there" she pointed to the left
"And Lucas is the father?" Chase asked, without a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"How'd you know?" she asked shocked
"It has always been Lucas, Brooke. Even when we were going out, you never quite gave your whole heart to me as much as you tried. Plus Ella's eyes are a dead giveaway." He said affectionately
"Ah the famous Scott eyes" Brooke said, nodding her head slightly
"You and Luke are together then?" he asked nonchalantly
"No actually"
Chase looked so surprised his eyebrows almost disappeared
"Don't act so surprised, you know more then anyone the dysfunctional nature of my relationship with Lucas" she said frankly
"I guess I just figured that you two were meant to be more then we were. Anyway, I got to get back"
"Ok, don't be a stranger" giving Chase a brief hug
"I won't"
"Maybe Ben and Ella could have a play date when they are a little older" Brooke suggested
"Sure thing, I still have my old cell number" Chase said before taking one more glance at his son.
"Bye Brooke"
"Bye Chase"
Brooke stared at Chase's retreating figure, before turning back to the window.
"Who was that?" Lucas asked as he approached
"Chase"
"Chase? As in Chase Adams?" Lucas asked, anger building inside of him at the mention of Brooke's ex's name.
"Yeah, he was just showing me his kid" Brooke said pointing to Chase's newborn.
"Oh. Cute" Lucas said, a sense of relief flooding through his body.
"Yeah" Brooke agreed looking at Lucas strangely
"There you two are, I was wondering if you wanted to hold Ella." Asked a short statured woman wearing lilac scrubs.
"Really, she's strong enough now?" Brooke asked excitedly.
"Yes otherwise she wouldn't have been moved here today"
"Let's go" Brooke said as she grasped Lucas hand, and followed Nurse Calloway into the nursery.
The nurse carefully picked up Ella from the crib and handed her to Brooke
"There you go, support her head" the nurse instructed
Brooke didn't know how to describe the feeling of holding Ella for the first time. Knowing that she was the one person that was responsible for keeping her safe, and teaching her about love, and life, Brooke realised nothing in her life never compared to the feeling.
Ella nestled into the crook of Brooke's arm, her eyes watching Brooke intently.
"Hi there Ella, I'm your mummy, and I love you very very much" Brooke said gently stroking her daughter's cheek
"You want to try?" she asked Lucas, who was watching in awe how natural Brooke was with Ella.
"Sure" he said nervously
Brooke carefully handed Ella to Lucas while making cooing sounds to soothe her.
Lucas looked dumfounded as he held his daughter. Although she had been in this world a little over 3 weeks, the chance to hold something he created, he created with Brooke was incredible.
"We made her, how could we make something so perfect?" Lucas said as Ella fell asleep in his arms.
"I honestly don't know all I know is I want to hold her and never let her go…" Brooke said as she kissed Ella on the forehead
"Same here" Lucas said, looking lovingly at Brooke.
Nurse Calloway had been a paediatric nurse for many years and found it rare to have the chemistry and love that she observed Ella's parents to have. The body language between the pair suggested some trust issues, but if there was one thing that could bring a couple closer together, is the birth of a child.