Hey everyone! Happy Holidays to all of you. I've had SO much stuff going on lately between exams, the holidays, and my 26th birthday. Also, to be honest I got a little stuck on all of my fics. I am planning on updating Journey and Bare Witness as soon as I can and I gotta say, I'm not 100 percent happy with this chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something. Thanks again for reading and all the amazing reviews and support.
Also if anyone has any ideas they want to run past me, please feel free to do so. :-)
Karen Roe had found actual contentment only twice in her life; The brief time that she and Keith were together and right now.
It seemed she had been holding her breath, waiting for something like what she and Keith had found for the short time they had it. All of that had come crashing down around her the day Jimmy Edwards brought a gun to school, the day Lucas went back in after Peyton. The day she found out she was to bare a dead man's child and once again have to raise a child alone.
She had put on a brave face for Lucas and everyone else, but she was terrified to raise another child at her age by herself. After finding out who really killed the father of her child she found a strength in her once again that she thought she had lost. Dan had stolen a father from one too many of her children and this thought brought on the fierceness and determination to do it all again.
So once more Karen found her contentment, in a beautiful, caring, funny daughter that was the spitting image of her dead father, her café, which was doing better than ever, her friends, and her son who was her best friend and his family.
When Lucas and Peyton appeared in her café with matching Cheshire grins and asked her what she was doing at four o clock she had been thrilled. She'd only mentioned the quickness of their marriage because as a mother it was expected, but the news, and the glowing face of her boy when he gave it to her sent her over the moon.
It is every mother's desire for their son to meet the perfect woman. And for a mother it seems, there is no woman good enough for their little boy and truth be told when your son finds a woman to gaze at with the same adoration as he used to stare at you with, it's hard to swallow. But Peyton Sawyer was different. She had always been different and in the back of her mind, Karen knew that this was the woman who would marry her son and give him children.
She was thankful for the curly haired blonde in her son's life, not only because of the beautiful grandchildren she had given her, which was a large reason for her contentment and for her son's happiness, but because she had never seen her son so happy and so contented as well.
The day she realized Lucas had been right about Dan, broke her heart. And it was for the first time she really looked at her son and saw the hurt and exhaustion the whole situation had caused him and she hated herself for being the cause of his pain. She had betrayed her son and she had betrayed Keith, choosing the man who had left Lucas fatherless for his entire life and stole the one man who had stepped up to the plate. But with the birth of Lily neither of them had time to over think the pain of the past. Lucas had been more than ready to let it go and Karen decided for the sake of her daughter, she would let go of it too.
It was that summer after graduation that Karen saw something else different in her son. Her little boy was truly, madly, and deeply in love. He was impossible the entire summer, Peyton Sawyer was gone. If he wasn't hovering over her and Lily or at the Rivercourt, he was in his room writing long love letters to his girlfriend on the other side of the country or instant-messaging her, all the while sighing like a lovesick puppy and grinning like an idiot. This had been after he came back from visiting her and the moony smile on his face was the only thing that kept her from grounding him for leaving without telling her first. She was pretty sure he was too old to be grounded, anyway.
She'd never seen her son so giddy as the day Peyton returned from LA. He was walking on air and when he returned six and a half hours later holding Peyton's hand, they were both glowing, happy, and looking suspiciously flushed and rumpled considering the flight had landed five hours ago. Karen knew from that moment she saw them together that those two would never leave each other's sides again. And as they all sat down together to dinner they all smiled at one another and that was when they realized that the bad times were over. It was time for happiness.
"Gramma!" Karen looked up from the counter and grinned as Anna barreled towards her and William toddled after her giggling. Her son stood smiling in the doorway.
"Hey Ma," he greeted
"There are my babies," she greeted, throwing the dish towel she had in her hands over her shoulder. She rounded the counter and grunted playfully as Anna barreled into her and William followed suit.
"Oh what are they feeding you guys," Karen said, jokingly, winking at Lucas who stood at the counter, smiling. "You almost knocked me over!"
"I'm sorry Gramma. I'm very strong," Anna replied seriously, making her and Lucas laugh.
"Ga-ma!" William bounced up and up opening and closing little fists at her.
"I see you, little one," Karen cooed, picking him up and cradling him. She looked up to Lucas and smiled. "Hi, sweetheart."
"Hey Ma. How's your morning?"
"Oh it was fine," Karen replied. "Bitsy Smith came in this morning, though." She rolled her eyes at him and he chuckled.
"Don't you think it's just about time to let that go?"
"Don't get me started. That woman-" She looked down at Anna who was smiling sweetly up at her. "Never mind. So, what have you guys been up to today?"
"We went to the park," Anna piped in. "I went on the swings and the monkey bars and the jungoo gym-"
"That's jungle gym baby," Lucas corrected.
"Thas whut I said," Anna cried throwing her hands on her hips and glaring at him briefly. Lucas shook his head in defeat and sighed at Karen.
"So you had fun at the park huh?"
"Yeah and I look dorable!" At this Karen fell into a fit of laughter and Lucas chuckled.
"You are adorable, sweetheart," Karen conceded as the bell above the door rang and Brooke and Jake walked in.
"Brooke!" Karen greeted with pleasant surprise in her voice. "How are you honey? Hey Jake."
"Hey Karen," they both greeted taking seats on either sides of Lucas.
"So how long do we get to enjoy your company Brooke?" Karen asked. Brooke shrugged, giving the woman a small smile. She'd always loved Karen, being drawn to her mothering ways when she herself was in need of one. They had grown close over the years and she regretted losing contact with the woman.
"Indefinitely," she replied cryptically.
"You know I don't think I've heard that word used so much in my entire life, yet Brooke Davis comes into town and I hear it at least fifty," Lucas joked.
"It's not my fault people want to know what I'm doing," Brooke replied cheekily. "It's the story of my life."
"That's what I hear miss famous fashion designer. So I take it you all are here to eat?"
"Sorry mom, but we gotta take it to go. I'm taking Brooke to see Peyton's studio and I told Peyt I'd bring her lunch."
"Oh I see," Karen replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "Your old mother is good for two things. Babysitting and lunch."
"Oh no mom," Lucas said, gently. "There's always dinner."
Karen swatted him and he ducked her, laughing. They placed their orders and Karen handed William to Lucas, before going back to fill the orders with Anna, who had run after her to help.
"You're gonna love Peyt's gallery Brooke," Lucas said, turning to the brunette, as he bounced William on his knee.
"You know, I always pictured her doing something with music, especially after the internship in LA. I mean she really loved it out there."
"She liked it well enough," Lucas said slowly. "But she actually hates LA," Lucas replied with a shrug at the baffled look on Brooke's face. Lucas shifted uncomfortably, realizing why Brooke was so confused. Peyton had been putting on her happy face the entire summer after Lucas had left. Of course Brooke didn't know how Peyton really felt about that summer LA. They were barely talking.
"What?"
"I think she was just trying to enjoy herself for your sake Brooke," he replied. "You know Peyton," Lucas shrugged. "She told me when she got home she liked it, but it wasn't for her."
Brooke frowned. She could tell from the moment Lucas left Peyton would be missing the hell out of him for the rest of the summer. And she never told Peyton this, but she had found her calendar with the days counting down to when she returned home to Tree Hill. Somehow, Brooke knew Peyton hadn't loved LA, but found herself trying to talk up the time Peyton had spent away from him.
"So, how long has she had the gallery?"
"Almost five years now," Lucas replied. "She does a lot of her own work, but also sells the work of local artists too. And once a years she hosts a show for high school artists and everything gets given to charity."
"Those are always really fun," Jake added with a smile.
"It's really great," Lucas grinned. "She's done such a great job with it. You' d be so proud of her, Brooke. I know I am."
It was an innocent statement, but it broke Brooke's heart and made her all the more jealous of Peyton to hear the sheer pride Lucas had for her work. All her own work managed to do was ruin her and Chase's relationship. Towards the end, he went to very few of her functions and when he did, he looked miserable.
"She's done good for herself," Brooke rasped.
"We could say the same thing for you miss fashion designer," Jake smiled, as Karen came out of the kitchen with Anna and their orders.
"Wow that was fast Mom," Lucas commented with a raised eyebrow.
"Well I had very good help," Karen replied, winking down at Anna who beamed back up at her.
"So what time will I see you to watch the kids?"
"I told Andy to get here at around three so that should leave plenty of time for you to drop the kids off on the way to Tric," Karen replied, stroking William's golden curls as the baby cooed.
"Great," Lucas sighed, standing he handed William to Karen and he and Jake and Brooke, picked up their bags. "Thanks for doing this mom."
"Are you kidding? Spending time with my grandchildren isn't a favor to you. Lily loves when they come over. I'll be lucky if I even get near them."
"I like Aunt Lily Gramma!" Anna cried, beaming up at Karen, who she thought was almost as cool as her mom, and that was saying a hell of a lot.
Chuckling, Karen replied, "Well Lily loves you too very much. She can't wait for you two to come over and play."
"Can we go now?" The little girl squealed jumping up and down, making everyone laugh.
"Baby," Lucas chuckled, "we're gonna go see Mommy and have lunch with her, remember?"
The girl stopped bouncing and said "Oh! Let's go! I wanna see my Mommy!"
"Just a second baby girl," he replied. He leaned in a kissed his mother's cheek.
"Luke, I was wondering if maybe you wanted me to keep the kids overnight. I know how going away parties at Tric can get and if you come in, late you'll have to wake the kids up. Besides it'll be quick night off for you and Peyton. Not that having the kids home stops you two, but at least you both won't have to try and be quiet."
"Ma!" Lucas cried, turning bright red, as Brooke choked on her iced tea behind him. Did Lucas's mother say what she thought she just said?!
"Sorry, Brooke," Karen said quickly to Brooke, who was still trying to catch her breath and also thinking of Rachel. So much for their evening alone, she thought, gaining a bit of satisfaction from it. "So?"
Lucas beamed at his mother and leaned in to kiss her again. "Mom, that would be amazing. Thank you. We should probably get going though, so I'll see you at three-thirty."
"Okay sweetheart." She said goodbye to Anna, William, Lucas, and Jake and then turned to Brooke, looking at her closely. The young woman looked like she had a very heavy load on her shoulders. She glanced back at Lucas and hoped this wasn't the beginning of any sort of drama. They had all managed to live their lives drama free for several years and she couldn't help but think, that with Brooke's return trouble was a foot.
"We haven't gotten to speak yet Brooke," Karen sighed. "I don't want you to think you can't still come to me if you need to talk. So if you'd like, I'm still in the same house. I think you know where it is."
"Yeah, I couldn't forget if I tried," Brooke replied, smiling gratefully.
"Good. Don't be a stranger."
Brooke smiled. "I won't. In fact I mean not to be."
OTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTH
"Deb called," Molly said popping into Peyton's office "She said everything is set for tonight's going away party at Trick."
"Awesome. I'm glad someone's on the ball. Lucas had to remind me about it this morning," Peyton laughed. Molly grinned and sat on the corner of Peyton's desk.
"Speaking of Lucas, missy. You are glowing this morning. I can only assume we have him to thank." Molly's green eyes danced at a blushing Peyton.
"Yes we can and once again you are not getting any details," Peyton smirked. It was one thing to be affectionate in public, it was quite another to share the intimate details.
"Numbers then," Molly threw her hands up. She was determined to get something out of her. When she was pumping her for sex info she reminded her of a red headed Brooke. "Two? Four? Over or under five? Come on! I'll even tell you mine. Jake and I shagged three times last night. Now you go."
Peyton raised her eyebrow at her. "You do know I'm your boss right? You haven't forgotten?" She wasn't serious and Molly knew this because she snorted at her.
"From the way you two were looking at each other last night I would say it was an all nighter. Was it an all nighter? Glasses on or off?"
"Molly!" Peyton exclaimed with a girlish giggle.
Molly threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine. We need to get you drunk tonight. You'll so give up the information."
"Oh geez. No wonder I went so long without Brooke. I have another one right here."
"Speaking of your friend, she seems nice."
"Yeah I like her," Peyton grinned, getting up and walking to her work area. Molly followed her.
"So what's the story with that?"
"Wow, I can't believe no one filled you in already."
"No-no. Jake gave me the edited version. Haley told me a bit here and there." Peyton rolled her eyes.
"Well Lucas and I had a connection first. I don't know how to describe it. There was just something there, but I was a huge bitch to him. I'm surprised he even wanted anything to do with me after some of the stuff I said and pulled. Anyway, Brooke had never been quiet about her desire for Lucas and I was hiding my feelings as usual. Anyway, I messed things up between us one night at a party. I really hurt him and Brooke just…swooped in."
"You don't sound bitter at all by the way," Molly joked. Peyton chuckled and shrugged. She stood up and Molly followed her out to the art gallery floor where some men were hanging various paintings.
"That one goes on the south wall," Peyton called to one, before turning back to Molly.
"Brooke knew I wanted him. She knew how hard it was for me to open up and she saw that he opened me up-"
"No pun intended-"
Scandalized and laughing, Peyton squealed, "Molly!"
"Sorry," the redhead giggled. Peyton rolled her eyes at her and fought to keep the smile that was tugging at her lips, off her face.
"Anyway after I hurt him he and Brooke bonded over…well me. Brooke took me to some college party and some guy slipped me something and Lucas came. He and Brooke took care of me and they got closer. By the time I got my head out of my own ass, he'd already moved on to her. And it-it killed me, but it was my fault. She acted like my problem wasn't that she went after someone she knew I wanted. I mean yeah I told her I was okay with it and that I wasn't into Lucas and that he wasn't into me, but-"
"A woman knows," Molly cut in with a raised eyebrow. "A best friend knows."
"Yeah, well-We both messed up. He cheated on her with me. We all fell apart and then he started dating her and I well-"
"Jake and Haley filled everything in from there, more or less," Molly smiled. "I got to say it must be really hard to see her after all this time, especially knowing her and Lucas's past."
"Yeah, well," Peyton shrugged, noncommittally. She didn't really want to get into these hard feelings between her and Brooke.
"Just remember that you have him," Molly said, watching the emotions swirl behind her green eyes.
"I know," Peyton nodded quickly. "Trust me I know. It's just hard when the past is staring you in the face."
"And they have green eyes?" Molly asked with a raised brow. The statement hung between them unanswered. They both knew she was not talking about eye color.
Changing the subject Peyton pulled her cell phone out and said, "I wonder where Lucas is. He said he'd be here with Brooke and the kids a while ago."
"Well give him a call and see where he is," Molly offered. Peyton nodded and made her way to her office where her phone was. Pressing the speed dial on the phone.
"Hey Blondie," Lucas answered.
"Luke," Peyton answered with a sigh. "Where are you, babe? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah I'm sorry baby doll. I'm running behind today. Anna spilled juice everywhere in the kitchen and….um William got into a plant so-"
"Which one?"
"Um-The green one in the living room with the leaves that look like Sideshow Bob's hair."
"How the hell did he manage that?"
"I have no idea," Lucas chuckled. "But not to worry, I cleaned up the carpet and the kitchen and I think we can salvage the plant."
"Good," she said. She laughed hearing William's high pitched giggling in the background. "What's going on?"
"Oh, William thinks it's funny when Anna sticks her face right up in his face," Lucas replied shaking his head.
"They're so funny," Peyton chuckled in amusement.
"You almost done for the day baby?"
"Actually, I think by the time you get here I should be through. Molly has all this handled and the next gallery show should be amazing."
"Perfect. You wanted a roast turkey sandwich right?"
"Yes, please. I'm absolutely famished."
"Famished you say?"
Peyton spun around and grinned, finding her husband leaning against the doorframe of her office, shutting his cell phone. She wasn't sure how, but only Lucas Scott could make casually leaning against a doorframe sexy.
"Hey you," she whispered, shutting her own phone. He smiled, making her heart stop….even after all this time.
"Hey," he replied. Righting himself, he made his way across to her and swept her up into his arms. His tongue swept across the seam of her lips, begging entrance into the sweet depths of her mouth and she gladly gave it, wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning breathlessly as he kissed her senseless.
Lucas sat down on the edge of her desk and pulled her between his legs, his hands resting on her hips as they continued to…say hello.
As Lucas's tongue gently stroked her own, Peyton vaguely wondered what Lucas had done with the children. And where was Brooke?
Then she heard a shuffling of paper and an uneven pitter patter that she knew belonged to her son.
"Can we go in now Brooke? Mommy must be hungry!"
Peyton gasped and smacked his shoulder. "Brooke is out there? What is the matter with you," she hissed, turning red.
"Daddy's hungry too," Lucas shrugged with a grin.
"You are impossible," Peyton giggled, despite herself and leaned in for one more kiss, intending on going out there to fetch her children and relieve Brooke, afterwards. But Lucas's moan, changed her mind, and his lips were warm and soft, his tongue sensual and teasing.
Outside, Brooke tapped her foot in irritation. There had been no way of getting out of this and she knew if she backed out, Lucas and Peyton would suspect something and that was the last thing she wanted. Jealousy really was a strange emotion.
She felt like two different people. One person wanted so badly to be happy for Peyton and Lucas, but the other, wanted to rip him away from her. The other was in love with Lucas Scott and hated Peyton for stealing him from her. That part of her truly believed that had Peyton not meddled, it would be Peyton, Lucas dragged along to visit her fashion studio with her and Lucas's children. It would be Peyton who would have to suffer through watching her kissing Lucas. She glanced into the office and felt her stomach drop as she saw them deeply making out. Lucas's hands were cupping her ass, pressing her closer to him.
If Brooke closed her eyes she could feel his hands on her and the heat of his erection pressed against her core. She knew this type of thinking was very wrong and dangerous, but she couldn't help it. The 'other' Brooke seemed to be winning.
"Mom is taking the kids for the entire night," Lucas breathed. Peyton pulled back once again to grin.
"You mean I get you all to myself for an entire night?"
"Uncensored," he husked, before sucking on his favorite part of her neck. Peyton bit her lip, feeling her body responding.
"Lucas," she moaned in warning.
"Hum?" Lucas replied, unbuttoning the top button of her shirt. She slapped his hand away and re-buttoned it giving him a look to which he shrugged and grinned like a little boy.
She shook her head and laughed, then leaned up against him, suggestively. Her hands, stroked the insides of his thighs and he trembled. "I can't wait to get you alone."
"Mommy!"
"Fuck me," Lucas groaned in frustration, reliving the morning's interruption. Peyton grinned at him and whispered "later," seductively into his ear.
She pulled away and walked out of her office, leaving Lucas to calm himself.
"Mommy! We brought you lunch," Anna cried running up to her with a brown paper bag in her hands. Hot on her tail William toddled towards her with, holding a muffin and squealing, "Mama!"
"Hey my babies," Peyton greeted, kneeling down for hugs and kisses from her children. "Mmmm, let's see what we have."
"It's turkey Momma and William and I gots ham! But William tried to eat your muffin," Anna explained, briefly glaring at her little brother who was staring at Peyton and messily gnawing on what looked like a cornbread muffin…through the plastic.
"Ew, sweetie. That's yucky," she murmured, before taking the muffin from him. She looked up and grinned at Brooke.
"How was the park?"
"Very interesting," Brooke replied, slowly as Lucas wandered out of Peyton's office and went to stand beside his wife. Brooke cleared her throat, mentally trying to get her game face on. There they were. The perfect little freaking family.
"It's not quite Central Park, P Sawyer, but something tells me a lot of the moms enjoy the view there. I can't say I blame them," she added, flicking her eyes to Lucas and quickly looking back.
Peyton laughed nervously, swinging William up into her arms. Did she just check him out or am I being paranoid, she thought. She shook her head slightly, shaking off the thought.
"I take it you met the Lucas Scott fan club," she replied, turning smiling eyes up to her husband who was rolling his.
"They were eyeballing Jake too," Lucas shrugged, turning pink. Lucas knew he wasn't hideous, but he was self conscious about the attention he got based on his looks. Like his wife, he couldn't take a compliment to save his life and the day Haley had run to his house and showed him his face on the cover of some magazine he'd done an interview for, with the mortifying caption, "Reading just got Sexy," was the single most embarrassing day of his life. He couldn't leave the house without sunglasses for three weeks.
"Jake is with you?" Peyton asked.
"Yeah, he met us at the park. He's out front with Moll-"
"Daddy I'm hungry!"
"Hey," he reprimanded. "Don't interrupt, baby. It's rude."
"I'm sorry," the girl pouted at him and he sighed, before ruffling her hair.
"Hey how about I feed these two and you take Brooke on that tour," Lucas suggested, placing a hand on the small of her back and began rubbing it. It was a subtle gesture, but he'd heard the nervousness in his wife's laughter and wanted to make sure she was okay, whether Brooke was standing there or not.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded, gazing at her tenderly, hoping she was paying attention enough to read the I love you's in his eyes. "Yeah. You have your girl time," Lucas replied, smiling slightly, when Peyton gave him the look he knew was solely for him, letting him know she got his message.
Peyton turned to Brooke, who had been watching the silent communication with a deep frown. "What do you think?"
"It's up to you," Brooke shrugged. "I don't mind walking and eating. Besides it should save us some time. Isn't Karen coming by to pick the kids up soon, Luke?"
"Yeah, she's coming at three thirty," Lucas replied, looking at his watch. He looked up at Peyton. "And we still need to get dressed, baby."
"I'll make it really quick then," Peyton shrugged. "You feed the kids and then we can all go together. I'll drop you off at Haley and Nate's so you can change Brooke."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Well, walking and eating it is then," Peyton said, handing William to Lucas.
"But I wanna eat with mommy," Anna cried, looking sadly up at Peyton. Peyton looked at Anna and then Brooke.
"You know what, let's just sit down together and eat," Brooke said. "I can come by tomorrow or something."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Anna should get to eat with her mom," Brooke smiled.
"YAY! Thank you Brooke! Come on mommy!" Anna dragged Peyton back into her office and Lucas hung back, smiling at Brooke.
"That was really good of you," he said. Brooke blushed slightly and shrugged.
"I aim to please, Broody." Lucas chuckled and swung an arm around her neck.
"You're gonna be fine Brooke. How are you holdin up?"
"It's hard. Coming home has made me realize old dreams I thought I'd forgotten about. Do you remember when we were dating and we were describing our perfect houses?"
"Yea," Lucas replied, with a nod.
"I want that Luke. I want ou-my dream house and a family. Hell maybe even a dog." She looked up at him and tilted her head. "Do you think that could happen still?"
"Of course I do Brooke," Lucas chuckled. "You're still young and not to sound like a Hallmark card, but if I've learned one thing over the years is never let go you those dreams. If you want it badly enough it'll happen."
Brooke stared at him a moment before looking away. "I do want it."
Lucas patted her on the shoulder. "Then go for it," he said.
"Maybe I will," Brooke smiled up at him. He returned it and then walked into the office. Brooke followed him and leaned against the doorframe watching as Lucas plopped himself down on the carpet with his wife and children. He opened his mouth and let Peyton pop a piece of turkey into his mouth before leaning in to peck him on the lips.
Brooke smiled innocently when Peyton looked up at her, questioningly. "Maybe I will."