Chapter 26- Love Can Move You
A/N: Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't updated in the past week. Uni is so insanely crazy it is not funny. To those who read The First Cut Is The Deepest, I will try and UD ASAP, but I had this chapter ready to go. Warning, this is more of a back-story/filler chapter. It was the best I could do with my stress levels being sky high. Please Read and Review-Lydia
"Nate, Luke, we're back!" Haley called as she and Brooke walked into the house along with their daughters.
"Hey gorgeous"
"Hey yourself, where's your knuckle head of a brother. I thought you two were going to the River court today" she asked
"He got a call from his mother"
The two women exchanged a glance
"When did he leave?"
"Oh about an hour ago"
"He'll call, Tutor Mom" Brooke said, patting Haley reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Yeah, Hales, don't worry, he'll be fine" Lucas said nodding his head
"I hope so" she said trying to be strong, but her quivering lip told Lucas and Brooke otherwise.
"Hey, how bout Brooke and I look after Belle?" Lucas suggested
"You don't mind?" Haley said, twirling her hair nervously
"No of course not, go find Nate" Brooke said
"Thanks guys, I owe you" She said grabbing her handbag
"Nah don't worry about it, tutor mom"
Lucas took Annabelle's carrier from Haley and she quickly exited the house.
"So what happened?" Brooke asked once the sound of Haley's car disappeared.
"Well we were about to head out; we let the machine picked up"
"And?"
"It was bad"
"God you think that she would stay sober so she could meet her granddaughter" Brooke said haughtily
"Yeah well you should have heard her, apologising for missing the birth, pleading for Nathan to see her otherwise she has nothing to live for"
"So he went" Brooke concluded
"Yeah, but what else could he do"
"I know. Who would think that Deb makes my mother look saintly?" Brooke said rolling her eyes.
"Right" Lucas said in agreement
"Well let's go to put the kids upstairs"
Lucas and Brooke flopped down on the couch soon after, finally getting the two neonates to sleep.
"Well I guess we know what having twins would be like, hey?" Lucas said
"I know. I wonder how Naley are getting on."
"God I hope Deb hasn't done anything stupid again" Brooke stated
"Again?" Lucas asked confused
Brooke looked at Lucas questionably.
"Nate never told you?"
"Told me what?"
"About what Deb did freshman year of college?"
"What, Brooke" Lucas asked
"Well Deb moved in with Haley and Nathan when they moved for college. Supposedly to help look after Jamie while Haley and Nate were at classes, that sort of thing"
" I think I am sensing a but here" he said slowly
Brooke looked downcast as she recalled the events that had unfolded years before.
"Haley came home one day to find Deb passed out on the couch, and Jamie wailing like anything. The next day, Nathan threw her out of the house, and she has been going downhill ever since."
"But Nathan still talks to her?"
"Barely. Only when something major is happening"
"Like the birth of Annabelle" Lucas concluded
"Exactly. I don't think Nate expected anything more though. He has been cleaning up Deb's messes for years"
"Well I guess there isn't anything more we can do for them now"
"I guess. How bout pizza and a movie tonight?" Brooke suggested
"Sounds good but no chick flicks"
"I make no promises" she said as she ascended the stairs
Once Brooke checked on the children were settled in their matching cribs, she and Lucas settled downstairs in the rumpus room. Brooke popped in the DVD, and the couple sat in the dark which the credits roll on the screen.
"What did you pick, Cheery?"
"Guess" she asked excitedly
"You know I hate this game"
As the image appeared on the screen, Lucas groaned
"You know I hate this movie"
"But it has football in it" Brooke rationalised
"Yeah but it's not the reason why you watch it"
"True, but Bend It like Beckham is a classic"
"It's a classic piece of – "
"Hey guys" a worn out Haley said, walking into the room
"Hey Hales, is everything ok?" Brooke asked, getting up from her seated position and hugged Haley
"Not really"
"Where's Nate" Lucas asked
"Driving his Mom to the Holyoke Centre"
"Do you think it will stick this time?" Brooke asked tentively
"I really hope so, for Deb's sake and more importantly Nate's"
"Me too, hon, me too" Brooke said, giving Haley another hug
"I'm glad you are here" Haley said still holding on for dear life.
" I wouldn't be anywhere else"
Haley took a deep breath before asking "Where's my beautiful baby girl?"
"Upstairs" Brooke said
"Ok, I'm going to go check on her"
"I'll come with"
The two women proceeded up the stairs and Lucas sat back down on the couch and turned the TV onto ESPN.
"So how are you really?"
Haley sighed heavily as she stroked Annabelle's fluff of hair.
"Honestly I don't know. Nathan is trying to hide how much he is hurting, but I can tell"
"Just hang in there, Tutor Mom"
"Having this little angel makes it a bit easier"
"Sure it does"
"Did you think back in junior year that we would end up here?"
"What 23 and mothers already?"
"Well yeah. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Lucas hadn't left the river court what would have happened, but ultimately, I wouldn't change anything for the world. All the concerts and dreams in the world don't matter if the one you love isn't standing next to you"
"I know what you mean, Tutor Mom. When I moved to New York I just wanted to get away from Tree Hill all the drama, from Lucas and Peyton, all the painful memories. But I never felt like New York was home. I don't have any friends in New York, or at least ones that would understand what I was going through. When I found out I was pregnant, it felt a part of me was still in Tree Hill, but I couldn't return"
"How come?" Haley asked
"I don't think my heart could take much more, you know? Lucas and I had such a patterned history. Every thing about this town reminded me of him. When Peyton told me about Rachel I had enough. I had enough of getting clobbered. When he cheated on me in junior year, when he just wanted to be friends when I was dating Felix, when he rejected me after I slept with Chris, when he pushed me away after Jimmy's death. I just felt so beaten down. I just needed to leave"
"And now?"
"Now it feels like I am finally home. I want to make new memories here. I want to show my daughter the town I grew up in, drive past my old house, and watch Lucas play basketball with the river court guys. I want to spend my nights with Lucas just like tonight, and most importantly I want to be the girl behind the red door again"
"Have you told Lucas any of this?"
"No, we just got back together, you know? I'm afraid if I tell him this he will get scared and bolt"
"Tigger, I have known Lucas a long time, and I don't think he looks at anyone like he looks at you"
"Really?" Brooke asked
"Really. Now let go before the little ones wake up"
"Yeah it took forever to get them asleep"
Lucas lent against the wall, listening to the conversation that Brooke and Haley were having. He had never heard Brooke talk about the reasons why she left Tree Hill in the first place. He was so involved in Peyton at the time; he didn't question her motives for leaving. Lucas just assumed it was life, and she had to move to follow her dreams. Little did he realise her dreams were in Tree Hill all along. Lucas fished his phone out of his pocket and started dialling as he crept down the stairs.