Sorry for the wait. I suck. :-(
Monday morning in the Scott household was unusually quiet. Monday mornings were usually a bit chaotic with everyone going in four different directions after a loud breakfast which consisted of Haley, James, and Amalia all trying to talk at the same time while Nathan read the sports page and only spoke when he heard his name called. This morning the children had worn themselves out and so they were both tiredly talking amongst themselves at the table as they ate breakfast. Luckily James didn't deem himself above conversing with a toddler as many his age did.
Brooke hadn't come down yet, having stayed up to help clean up after the last guests had left, Nathan and Haley figured she was sleeping off the night before.
Standing, Nathan sidled over to the counter where Haley was chopping up pieces of fruit for lunches. "So," Nathan began quietly, glancing back at the children.
Haley furrowed her brows at him and chuckled. "So," she echoed.
"How do you think the Brooke and Peyton reunion went?"
Haley paused and considered her answer. "I think it went pretty well under the circumstances, but you know Nate I am a bit worried."
"Because Brooke is obviously still in love with Lucas?" Nathan supplied. At that Haley put the knife down and gave Nathan her full attention.
"Okay, spill. What do you know?"
"I don't know anything, for certain, Hales. I just have a feeling and honestly I'm a bit worried too," Nathan shrugged.
"Yeah, well Jake had a feeling too and so did I," Haley sighed.
"Jake too huh?"
"Yeah he said he was talking to her and it was not only totally obvious that Brooke was still in love with Lucas, but that she didn't expect them to be together at all when she came back."
"You think Brooke came home for Lucas?" Nathan raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Haley sighed and went back to her chopping. "Who knows. All I know is three best friends can't be wrong about this. And Peyton told me why she and Brooke stopped talking to begin with."
"Lucas?"
"How did you know?"
"Because when it comes to those two fighting it's always about Lucas," Nathan said with a roll of his eyes, echoing his wife's words from the night before.
"True. So what do we do Nate?"
"Whoa. Who says we should do anything? I mean we don't even know if it's true." At the raised eyebrow Haley threw his way, he added. "Which it probably is. But so what if it is, Hales? It's not like Lucas would leave his family if he knew. All he sees is Peyton. The only two people I see getting hurt in all this is Brooke and Peyton if Brooke opens her mouth."
"Well there's the thing. Do you think she'll say something? She did before and all of a sudden we were out a god mother."
Nathan thought back to the 'talk' he had with Brooke the night before. "I really don't know, Hales."
"You noticed Brooke was never with both of them at the same time last night?"
"Yeah I noticed that too. I told her she wasn't being at all subtle about her feelings."
"Wait, you talked to her about it?"
"Well, yeah after she disappeared I found her upstairs and it looked like she'd been crying."
"Oh no," Haley moaned, sympathetically. "She's going through a really hard time right now, Nate and I think the best thing we can do for her now is try to be really supportive. I mean it's like you said Lucas isn't going to leave Peyton and the way they are together it's probably torture for Brooke to see that."
"But we can't tell Peyton and Lucas about it. Why should they have to change the way they are around each other because Brooke decided to step into a time machine?"
"I'm not saying they should, I'm just saying we should be there for Brooke, you know…In case she needs to talk or something."
"Yeah," Nathan sighed. "All I'm saying is I don't want Peyton to get hurt in all this."
"Me neither," Haley sighed. She suddenly smiled up at Nathan. "You're a great big brother, you know that?"
"I try," Nathan grinned, leaning down to kiss his wife.
"Ew!" That came from James who was staring at his parents with a raised eyebrow. A giggle from Amalia followed and the pair smiled at their children.
"Don't we get enough of that from Uncle Luke and Aunt Peyt?"
Haley gaped at him, while Nathan chuckled. "Hey, your old mom and dad here enjoy kissing each other just as much as your Aunt and Uncle."
James wrinkled his nose and rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah I know. It's gross."
"You know one day you'll find a girl you want to kiss just as much," Nathan teased as he sat down at the breakfast table.
"When you're thirty," Haley threw in, taking on the role of over protective mother.
"No way! Kissing is gross!"
"And don't you forget it," Haley muttered.
He sighed, feeling his mind slowly coming to awareness and smiled before he even opened his eyes. He felt her curled in his arms, her body pressed flush against his with their legs tangled together. Her fingers glided across his lips, and he remembered his body moving between her legs the night before, her lips warm and supple beneath his mouth, the way she arched her back like a cat when she came, crying out his name, and he remembers coming inside her for the second time that night with the realization that being able to make love with the person who understands you better than anyone else in the world is a rare thing, the best thing, and something to celebrate.
God he loved his life. He opened his eyes to find those smiling green eyes staring back at him. Peyton was awake and tracing her fingertips over his chest.
"Good morning," she greeted with a happy smile. Her skin was glowing from the night's activities. Lucas often joked to her that he wanted to keep her sexually satisfied all the time just so she could always look this way. Her beauty always stopped his heart, pardon the expression, but she was luminous after thoroughly being made love to.
"Mmmm," he hummed, running a hand through her hair, which at the moment was looking very wild and he loved it. "Good morning," he replied glancing behind her at the clock. They had forty five minutes before she had to get dressed for work. He looked back at Peyton, who had obviously come to the same conclusion from the look in her eyes.
"Mmmm," he moaned again, rolling on top of her. Bodies still warm from sleep and a night wrapped around each other, they kissed and cuddled. Lucas and Peyton relished their mornings, because every night was not like the last two nights they shared. Some nights, as soon as their heads hit the pillow they were out like lights. Therefore their mornings were for cuddling, maybe making love quickly before they needed to rise, talking about the day ahead of them, or just holding each other close before the day took them away from each other.
He slipped inside of her with ease and they began to rock lazily against each other, her sighs in his ear like the sweetest kind of music. His mind was still fresh with memories from the night before. It still amazed him how after making love for all those years, being with her could still be….explosive in a monumental way. Lucas changed their position sinking deeper into her, intensifying the pleasure, making them both moan and Peyton's toes to curl.
"Oh God, Luke," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his warm body. He moaned and buried his face in her neck making her giggle and sigh. Lucas exhaled happily into her neck, kissed her there and then again as they continued their steady rhythm…..
Then a soft knock on the door.
Fuck, Lucas thought. Fuckfuckdoublefuck. Then he said it aloud into her neck.
"Oooh shit," Peyton groaned. More than frustrated, but used to it, Lucas pumped his hips a few more times for the road and then pulled out. While Peyton fished around for a tee shirt and shorts, he got up.
He and Peyton enjoyed a very healthy sex life. They managed to make love as much as, if not more than the next young married couple with children. But that was the clincher. Children. Just because they started didn't always mean they got to finish.
Lucas pulled some sweats and a tee shirt on as the knocking became more insistent with a plaintive little cry of "Mommy, Daddy open the door please," added in for good measure. And as Peyton hollered a "Momma's coming baby," he couldn't help but laugh at both his daughter's impatience and at the deprived look on Peyton's flushed face.
"No you're not," he replied, unable to let one go by. She rolled her eyes at his bad joke and looked down at his crotch which was still sporting an erection, with a raised eyebrow.
"Neither are you," she responded, sweetly. He smirked at her and she giggled. "Rain check?" She whispered, before kissing his lips. He pulled her into his arms with a moan, deepening the kiss for only a few moments, because he knew when Peyton opened the door Anna was going to be pissed for having been kept waiting.
"I'll hold you to that," he replied, walking around her to the bathroom.
"You always do," Peyton shot back, before opening the bedroom door. Peyton looked down frustrated at her daughter who in turn had hands on her hips and was looking up at Peyton with a frown.
Peyton sighed and picked her up unable to deny that Anna Scott is all her at sixteen but with WAY more sweetness and a LOT less bitch.
"Honey, that was very good knocking, but you have to learn how to be patient and wait for Daddy and I to come get you," Peyton admonished with a sigh.
They had to teach Anna to knock after a particularly embarrassing situation involving Anna standing beside their bed one morning for a few unnoticed moments. She had innocently asked them what they were doing and they'd both jumped a mile. Luckily they were mostly covered by sheets. If the conversation that followed, after they had dressed wasn't bad enough, Anna had let Nathan, Karen, and Haley know during dinner that "Mommy and Daddy like to "wrestle" in the mornings, but that's for adults." Lucas and Peyton turned beet red and nearly choked on their meat loaf. And they would never hear the end of it.
Anna was a notorious early riser like her father, but she usually entertained herself in her room until one of them came to get her. On some occasions, though, like this particular morning she didn't feel like waiting.
"I was hungry Mommy," Anna explained, before Peyton plopped her down on top of the blankets of their bed. Peyton smiled down at her daughter. They knick named her baby bird because she was always hungry.
"You still need to wait unless it's an emergency, babe. Being hungry isn't an emergency."
"It is to me," the little girl replied with big eyes. Laughing, Peyton leaned down and kissed her daughter's nose. "Where's my daddy?" She asked peering around the room.
"He'll be out in a minute baby," Peyton replied, hearing the shower running. Anna scrambled on top of her mother, wrapping little arms around her waist and put her head on her chest. "Do you want me to make you breakfast?"
Anna lifted her head from her mother's chest and stared at her in horror. "Nooooooo," she howled.
Slightly offended, Peyton frowned at her daughter's impassioned reply. She was aware she couldn't cook, but it didn't stop her from trying every once and awhile.
"Okay, okay fine, we'll wait for daddy," Peyton replied, pouting when Anna actually sighed in relief.
Lucas stepped out of the bathroom a moment later, teeth clean, freshly showered, shaven, and Luke junior under control. He smiled at his girls laying in bed together.
"Daddy," Anna squealed without moving out her mother's embrace.
Lucas lay down beside them, making his face level with Anna's and grinned at his daughter. "Morning baby, girl. What did we tell you about waiting?"
"To do it," Anna replied, her voice muffled because half her face was mashed into her mother's chest. She turned her head so she could pout at her father.
"But daddy I'm ready for breakfast," she cried plaintively, giving him her best hungry face. Lucas smiled and kissed her cheek.
"You were ready for breakfast last night, baby bird."
"It's cause I'm growing! Gramma says so! Daddy we can go to the park and see Gramma today?"
"Sure we can," he replied, before yawning in her face. This only made Anna giggle and say much to her parent's amusement,
"Then we can all take a nap." She patted Lucas's cheek, affectionately, making Lucas and Peyton laugh.
"Sounds like a plan, baby. Now, let's let Mommy get ready for work and we'll go get your brother and have breakfast okay?"
"Okay!" Anna sat up and rolled off the bed, with help from Peyton and scooted out the door. Lucas looked up at Peyton with a grin and then frowned at the look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Peyton pouted down at him.
"Is my cooking really that bad?"
Lucas began to laugh, but seeing the look on his wife's face, stopped immediately.
"Oh baby," he cooed, pulling her into his arms. He sighed. "Yeah. Yeah it is."
"Shit. That does it. I'm taking a cooking class."
Lucas couldn't hold in his laughter any longer and hugged Peyton to him as she frowned at him. "Babe, you know you can't cook."
"Anna doesn't even want me to make her breakfast," Peyton pouted, picking at his tee shirt.
"Oh sweetie. Anna is a picky eater," Lucas tried, weakly. It came out as a question and Peyton rolled her eyes.
"No she's not," Peyton replied swatting at him.
"Yeah I know," Lucas sighed, feigning a look of defeat. He shrugged and looked at her as if to say "Hey, I tried". They looked at each other and fell into a fit of giggles.
"Seriously, babe if it bothers you so much go see mom. I didn't exactly get my culinary genius from the Food Network, ya know."
"Yeah, yeah," Peyton rolled her eyes at him again. "Show off."
They heard a thud come from the monitor and then another a moment later followed by a baby's giggle. They laughed. William was awake and hurling thing out of his crib again.
Sighing Lucas leaned up and planted a sound kiss on Peyton's lips, before getting up.
"Hey it's Monday right?" he asked.
"Yeah," Peyton chuckled, as she pulled an outfit out of their closet for work.
"I thought it was supposed to be mellow. Didn't we tire them out this weekend?"
Peyton laughed, pointed a hanger at him and said, "At least Anna is letting you get a nap in."
Shaking his head he walked out of their bedroom, sighing when Peyton yelled "And change her shirt Luke," after him. Anna was still wearing that damned Floyd shirt.
Lucas walked into the nursery to find Anna patiently picking up William's toys, even as he kept tossing them out.
"Hey Scoot," he greeted leaning on the guard rail to look into the eyes that were his match. William favored him with a solemn look and a soft "dada" and then tossed his blanket out of the crib. "You planning an escape there kiddo?"
"Baba," was his reply. He looked at his items on the floor, bounced up and down, and then up at his father expectantly.
"He wants them back," Anna supplied, her arms full of stuffed animals. Lucas sighed. There are really too many things in his crib.
Picking William up, he took him to the changing table, nearly tripping over Anna who was crouched down, trying to fit another teddy bear in her already full arms.
"Anna, sweetie, how about one at a time," he suggested, as he changed a wriggling William's diaper.
Anna ignored him though and all the toys fell out of her arms at once, landing in a pile at her feet. This didn't seem to bother her though as she began to pick them all up again.
Laughing, Lucas picked an out fit for William and changed his clothes quickly, dressing him in a blue striped tee shirt and little red cargo shorts. He decided to forgo the shoes and socks, knowing they would just end up strewn across the floor before breakfast was even finished.
"Okay, Anna banana, lets go get some grub."
"Grub! Ew," Anna giggled, throwing herself on the ground for no apparent reason. Lucas shook his head, wondering where she got all her energy from.
"Okay, nut. Let's go," Lucas chuckled. Still giggling to herself, Anna took his waiting hand and they trooped down the stairs and into a (for once) Haley-less kitchen.
He set William in his high chair, which the baby immediately began banging on with the flat of his hands and helped Anna into her chair. As Lucas put the coffee on and began making breakfast, strains of music could be heard from the radio Peyton had turned on upstairs and Anna and Lucas began humming along.
"Daddy are we gonna see your friend today?" Lucas raised his eyebrows, surprised.
"Oh, I don't know sweets. Probably." He set her breakfast down in front of her and went back to the counter. "Would you like to see her?"
"Yes. She has pretty hair like my dolls," Anna replied, around a mouthful of bananas.
"Baby, don't talk with your mouth full," Lucas admonished the little girl as the phone began to ring. "Hello?"
"Morning Luke."
"Hey Hales," Lucas greeted, setting a bowl of bananas down in front of his son. "Are you calling from my living room or your house?"
"My house, you idiot," Haley snapped, playfully. Lucas chuckled.
"Did you get much sleep last night? I hope you guys didn't stay awake too long cleaning up. I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer to help clean up."
"Oh it's alright Luke. Brooke actually helped with the clean up."
"Brooke Davis cleaning something? She really has changed hasn't she," Lucas joked, making Haley chuckle a bit.
"She did what she could. How was your night? I'll bet you and Peyt were out like lights as soon as you got home."
"Oh-um……mmhm," Lucas murmured noncommittally. On the other end Haley rolled her eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Hey, let's not talk about my sex life this morning, huh Hales?"
"I didn't say anything about sex. But since you did, let me just say, holy crap don't you two ever sleep?"
Laughing, Lucas took a sip of his coffee. "What's up Hales?"
"I was just wondering what you were up to today. Nate just left for Wilmington and I gotta take the kids to the doctor soon. I feel bad leaving Brooke here by herself."
"If Martha Stewert were dead she's roll in her grave," Lucas teased, taking on a mock serious tone. Haley snickered and in the background Lucas heard James yell, "We don't have to go to the doctor today mom! You can stay here with Brooke!" followed by an enthusiastic "Yeah!" from Amalia.
"Yeah, nice try guys," Haley said to them.
Lucas laughed and said, "Well actually I was thinking about calling Brooke later to see if she wanted to brave the kiddy scene with me today."
"Oh……Well I guess that would be okay," Haley said slowly.
"Why wouldn't it be? What, are you bogarting your houseguest now?"
"No no, I just…I dunno. Brooke Davis at the park, you know?"
"If Brooke is willing to help clean I'm sure going to the park with me won't be that much of a chore," Lucas replied as Peyton walked in. He winked at her and handed her a cup of coffee.
"You know this'll give all those park moms something to talk about, right," Haley said wryly. Every mother in Tree Hill who had children playground age knew who Lucas Scott was. He was there every day with his kids and all the mothers, married and single were there at the same time like clockwork. It wasn't often that they got a man at the park; It was less often that said man was as stone cold sexy as Lucas Scott.
"Oh gimme a break," Lucas rolled his eyes. "Do you know if is she had other plans?"
"I'm not sure yet. She hasn't-Oh here she is. Hold on."
"Is that Haley?" Peyton asked as she sat down next to William, who was chanting "Mama" at her. Lucas nodded.
"Luke," Brooke greeted after Haley handed her the phone.
"Oh Brooke, hey. Good morning," Lucas said, sitting down at the breakfast table with his family.
"Good morning yourself," was Brooke's raspy morning reply. "What's this about dragging me to the park?"
"Oh I mean if you don't wanna go, I'd understand," Lucas chuckled. He glanced up at Peyton who was noisily kissing a giggling William's cheek.
"No no, um is Peyton coming?"
"No she's gotta go to work," Lucas sighed, sticking his tongue out at Peyton who stuck her tongue out right back, making Anna giggle.
"Oh," Brooke said, feigning more disappointment than she felt. "Well, I guess I could drag myself away from all the important shopping I have to do today," she joked.
"Great, um I'll pick you up in four hours. That should give us enough time to get ready right?"
"Ha ha," Brooke said, thinking he was referring to her taking hours to get ready.
"I'm serious. I might have to hose William down after breakfast," Lucas chuckled, looking at his son whose face was covered in bananas. He made a face as Peyton let the baby feed her one of his banana pieces.
"Great," Brooke beamed.
"Hey you wanna talk to Peyton? She's sitting right here….eating her son's breakfast."
"Oh, um sure," Brooke replied. Peyton took the phone from Lucas just as William tossed his bowl of bananas on the floor.
"Awwww, William," Lucas sighed.
"Uh oh," William said, leaning over to watch his father clean up his mess.
"Yeah, uh oh," Lucas echoed.
"B Davis," Peyton greeted, happily. "So I hear you got a hot date today. Anyone I know?"
"Maybe P Sawyer," Brooke played along. "It's a small world after all."
"Ha ha-Oh you know what you should come see my studio!" Peyton cried. "Baby, bring her to my art studio,"
"Yes dear," Lucas replied, throwing away the banana that had fallen on the floor.
"I wanna go see Mommy at her studio too," Anna cried, bouncing in her chair.
"Aw, I was gonna leave you in the car," Lucas joked as Anna pouted at him.
"Mommy! Daddy's putting me in the car!"
"Mommy is on the phone," Peyton sighed and then rolled her eyes at Lucas who hadn't finished laughing at his daughter yet. "Tell Daddy if he leaves you in the car you won't let him have his nap."
"Yeah! You don't get your nap," Anna giggled.
"No na'," William cried at the dreaded n word.
"Looks like none of us are getting n-a-p-s," Lucas sighed. "I was just kidding, baby girl. I wouldn't leave you anywhere."
"Um, wow Peyton," Brooke said, at the commotion on Peyton's end of the line.
"Yeah, welcome to every morning in my world," Peyton laughed.
"Well, I've gotta say you're super perky this morning. What did you get a double shot of espresso?"
Peyton thought back to the night before. She was always extra peppy the morning after some good lovin' from Lucas. "Something like that," Peyton smirked at Lucas, who looked at her questioningly.
"So do you wanna come down to see my studio today or what?"
"Sure. Just so long as it doesn't cut into park time."
"Oh of course not. You'll probably end up leaving early anyway, because William will insist on trying to eat dirt or grass and Lucas will have to pack them up and leave."
"Why?"
"It's either that or the emergency room. That kid is fast," Peyton replied, ruffling the baby's unruly curls. William turned to stare at his mother with moony blue eyes and a sweet smile.
"Well, okay. I'd like to come see where Peyton Sawyer makes her cheese,"
"Did you say cheese? Man Skillz Taylor strikes again," Peyton giggled, making Lucas laugh too.
Brooke was confused a moment before getting the joke. "He rubs off on you doesn't he."
"He sure does. Oh, crap I gotta get going, but tell Haley I said hey and to call me and I'll see you later."
"Will do Sawyer," Brooke replied before hanging up and realizing she would be seeing Peyton later with Lucas and she'd forgotten to mention Rachel to them. Shit.
"So you got a hot date today with B. Davis huh? Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Peyton teased.
"Stop," Lucas chuckled, glancing at the children who were in the living room, watching television. "You want me to pick you up something from Mom's for lunch?"
"Yes, please. You know what I like," she smirked before turning to the children. "Okay guys. Give me hugs."
Anna jumped up and ran into Peyton's waiting arms. "Bye Momma," she whispered.
"You make sure Daddy doesn't bring me anything yucky for lunch," Peyton said, making the little girl giggle.
"Like worms," Anna laughed throwing her head back to giggle at her own joke. Peyton laughed at her daughter's silliness.
"Yeah, like worms." She gave her one more kiss and sent her off with a pat on the bottom and then sighed at a grave looking William. He hated it when she left and Peyton thanked God he chose to communicate his displeasure with a brooding face rather than tears. If he started to cry she would probably never leave the house ever again.
"Come here baby," she cooed. The baby toddled into her arms and she picked him up and sat down on the couch with him while Lucas watched sympathetically from the doorway.
"I didn't get enough morning time with my special baby boy, did I? No," Peyton whispered, snuggling him close to her chest.
"Mommy loves you," she whispered. "Both of you."
"Me too," Anna replied, without turning away from the television, making she and Lucas chuckle. After a few more moments she kissed William's curls and cheeks and set him down next to his sister, who scooted closer to him and began patting the unhappy baby's back.
Peyton walked over to the door way where Lucas stood smiling down at the children and turned to look at her babies. Peyton didn't leave every day. Some days she could actually work from home. Molly was so proficient, she didn't always have to go. But the days she did, man she hated leaving them.
"She's really gonna make a great mother one day," Peyton sighed. Their baby girl was already showing mothering instincts. Anna was a little sparkplug, but when it came to her baby brother she had vast amounts of patience and gentleness.
"Yeah," Lucas sighed. "When she's fifty."
"Luke," Peyton giggled, glancing at the clock. "I gotta go," she sighed once again. "So what time are you bringing Brooke by?"
"I dunno," Lucas replied, as they walked to the door hand in hand. "Twelve thirty. Maybe one? I guess it depends on how much of the park Brooke can handle, but it'll give us some time to catch up you know?"
"Yeah," Peyton replied hollowly. She honestly didn't feel threatened or jealous that her husband would be spending the day with his ex-girlfriend. It was Brooke she was worried about.
"Hey," Lucas called, getting her attention. "We aren't back to that are we?"
"No. We aren't, Luke. We were never there. I trust you."
And Lucas smiled because he knew it was the truth. "She's going through a rough time right now."
"I know," Peyton replied with a frown. She smiled then and said, "I'm going to leave the studio early today to see if she wants to visit some of our old haunts."
"That's great Peyt, but remember we have dinner with Skillz and Bevin tonight too."
"Oh right they're leaving tomorrow morning! I completely forgot. Well she's here indefinitely right? Tonight should be a fun night too."
"Yeah. I think the best thing for her right now is to have as many friendly faces around as possible, ya know?"
Peyton nodded and reached out to hug him goodbye. Lucas hummed and wrapped his arms around her.
"Have a good day, baby," he whispered. Peyton smiled into his neck.
"You too."
Lucas pulled back and leaned in to kiss her. "Remember that rain check," he mumbled into her lips making her giggle.
"You know I will," she replied, before he tightened his grip on her and deepened the kiss.
"Ahem!"
They both parted slowly, knowing it was their equally nosy and prudish neighbor Mrs. Bean.
"Good morning Mrs. Bean," they both chimed together, like school children. The old woman, gripping her newspaper only harrumphed and waddled back inside, while her husband, less nosey and far nicer, grinned at them and waved.
"Good morning Mr, Bean," Lucas called.
"Lovely day, lovely day," The man said as a reply and followed his wife back inside his house.
Peyton was about to walk off the stoop when Lucas yanked her back for one more kiss.
"I'm gonna be late you silly," she admonished half-heartedly. She let herself get swept up in one more sweet kiss before they both reluctantly pulled away.
"I'll see you later, babe," she said, before walking to her old convertible and hopping in.
Lucas stayed to watch her drive away with a wave. He was about to turn around when Anna appeared beside him with William standing next to her covered head to toe in dirt.
"Awww, William what did you do," he groaned. The baby merely pouted at him, still upset that his sister had dragged him away from his conquest.
"He tried to eat the plant an' I wouldn't let him, but he already got in the dirt," Anna shrugged.
"I can see that," Lucas sighed, picking the dirty boy up. "Thank you baby girl. Wills, how did you even get to a plant?"
William continued to pout and Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well now you need a bath."
They trooped back inside and Lucas groaned once more seeing the trail of dirt on their living room carpet. Peyton would blow a gasket. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Haley's house number. On the fourth ring Brooke answered.
"Hey Brooke?"
"Oh hey, Broody. We still on?"
"Um, yeah, but uh…..can we make it a little later," He asked, as he stripped the dirty clothes off his son. He then looked down at his own clothes which were now soiled as well. "Um, like a lot later…..?"
"What happened?"
"A plant disaster," he replied, plopping an unhappy baby boy into the tub.
"Oh no," Brooke laughed.
"Yeah, I gotta clean him up and do something with that carpet before Peyton sees it and flips her lid. Plus I have to change my clothes now and Anna isn't even dressed."
"It's okay Daddy. I can just wear this today," Anna replied from her place on the closed toilet seat.
"Oh no you are not," Lucas shot back. Lucas could just imagine going to Peyton's studio with Anna wearing that blasted shirt for the second day in a row. He would never hear the end of it.
"No need to worry Broody. But it sounds like you have your hands full. Need some assistance?"
"You want to help clean my carpet?"
"Lets not go nuts," Brooke replied. "I'll come over and lend whatever abilities I have to the situation."
Lucas raised his eyebrows on his end of the phone, thinking the utilizing of her abilities meant Anna would probably end up dressed like Britney Spears. Instead he said,
"Do you mind walking? I mean it's only three blocks, but…"
"I don't mind Broody. Just tell me which way to turn."
Lucas sighed. "I really appreciate this, Brooke."
"Anytime, Luke," Brooke smiled. He couldn't possibly get mad at her for offering his house up to Rachel after helping him out in a pinch right? "So, which way do I go?"
Thanks for being patient guys!
Review please!