Um, wow. Two updates in two days. This never happens. Could be the writing gods. I happen to think it was the great reviews! Thank you to everyone who leaves me such enthusiastic kind words. You make this all so much more fulfilling. Consider this your reward! ;-)
Karen knocked lightly on her son and his wife's bedroom door and popped her head inside, finding the three blonds wrapped up together on the bed, the two young parents sandwiching their tiny daughter. She smiled softly at the thankfully rated G scene on the bed and wished she had a camera with her to snap the precious family moment.
"Mama, Dada," William pointed his little finger at his family and scrambled to get down.
"Mom?" Lucas asked sleepily.
"Sorry for waking you, sweetheart," Karen whispered, minding Peyton and Anna sleeping beside him. "This guy needed his diaper changed and I just wanted to let you know lunch was ready."
"How long have we been asleep?" He asked looking backwards at the clock and then smiling at the head of blonde curls that toddled back and forth trying to figure out how to get up on the bed.
"About an hour," Karen replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I think William missed you," she laughed as the baby whined to get up on the bed. She picked him up and handed him over to Lucas.
He set the baby in his lap and sat back, hugging him close to his chest, with a contented sigh and buried his nose in the child's curly locks. His hair smelled sweet, like baby powder and graham crackers. He didn't understand how children at a certain young age always smelled so sweet; so much like innocence.
Lucas opened his eyes and found his mother staring at him, wistfully.
"Mom? You okay?"
She smiled and nodded, turning her face towards the open French door briefly as a breeze flew through the room. You did good with our boy. The thought flew through her mind and she swore she heard Keith say it. She could almost swear he was in the room with them. She turned her gaze back to her son and the family he had made
and felt herself grow warm with a happiness she hadn't felt all day.
"I'm proud of you my boy," she said, quietly and her quick blue eyes peered down to find Peyton's eyes open as well. "I'm proud of you both."
Peyton smiled and Lucas reached out took his mother's hand.
"Thank you, Mom."
With a squeeze of his hand she stood up with a light groan. "When you all are ready, lunch is downstairs. Don't let Anna nap too long or she'll keep you two up all night," she warned unnecessarily over her shoulder.
"Thanks Karen," Peyton smiled, her thanks for more than making lunch for the whole Scott clan.
During her first pregnancy, Peyton went through a hard time for awhile. Her hormones were through the roof and one day it just hit her like a sledgehammer that she was going to be a mother and at that moment she wanted nothing more in the world than to have Anna Sawyer there to tell her she was going to do fine. She had lashed out at Lucas because he was there and ended up storming out of the house. Worried, Lucas had called Karen and sent her to the place he knew she would be.
When Karen found the young woman, she was kneeling on her mother's grave, holding her pregnant belly, crying. Karen had simply knelt down next to her and held her as Peyton cried on her shoulder.
"I want my mom," Peyton had whimpered.
"I know you do, sweetie," Karen had whispered back. "I know you do."
After a few sage words from Karen, Peyton had realized how lucky she was to have a mother figure in her mother in law. Lucas had not been so lucky having his father figure stolen from him in high school. They were both afraid of the same thing, Peyton of becoming a mother having grown up without one and Lucas becoming a father having grown up without one as well. Both their fears had been unwarranted.
When the door shut lightly Peyton and Lucas looked at each other and grinned, before nestling back into bed with their family.
"Willy!" a small voice piped up from between them. Lucas laughed as Anna threw her arms around the baby's middle and hugged him. The baby giggled and toppled forward onto his sister with Lucas's protective hands keeping him steady.
"Are we calling him Willy now?" Peyton asked her daughter, amused.
"No, just me," Anna replied offhandedly, sticking her face right up against William's face. The baby's laughter pierced the room and Anna threw herself back into her mother's chest, laughing. "He broke my ears Mommy," she giggled.
"He kinda broke my ears too," Peyton laughed looking up at Lucas as they laughed at their children's silliness. He winked at her and she sent him his smile, the one that was only for him.
William sat up with Lucas's help and clapped happily, then looked back at his prostrate family with suspicion. His little mind decided this looked an awful look like a nap, the one thing in the world he hated more than strained carrots. The scrunched up look on the cherubic face was so priceless that Peyton and Lucas burst into laughter at him. Anna joined in for the fun of it, unsure of what they were laughing about.
William smiled at them and just to make things clear huffed, "No na'."
"He can't let us know when he's pooped and he can barely say his own name, but he will let you know his political opinion on naps," Lucas chuckled.
"No! No na'!" William glared at Lucas.
"You said POOP," Anna squealed with laughter. Lucas rolled his eyes and Peyton laughed.
"You did say it," she smiled. Lucas narrowed his eyes playfully at her as William chanted "no na'" beside him.
"We should get him a picket sign," Peyton said, offhandedly as Anna tapped her and then Lucas on their shoulders and grinned at them happily. "Know what?"
"Chicken butt," Peyton replied, with her southern twang that Lucas adored. Anna burst into more infectious giggles at her parent's continued silliness.
"No Mommy," she laughed.
"Well what is it," Peyton smiled, with a chuckle.
"I wish we could stay here forever," she cried, shyly, looking back and forth between her parents. Lucas and Peyton looked up at each other, both of them choking up a bit.
"Oh we wish that too, baby girl," Peyton said, hugging her daughter tight. William, not wanting to be left out- even if it meant taking a nap- pulled on Peyton's finger for attention. Peyton scooped the little boy up and maneuvered them both so they were laying on her chest. Lucas looked on, with misty eyes at his family.
He scooted closer to them and wrapped an arm over them as he sat up to lean on one arm.
"You know Mommy and I love you so much right?"
"Yes, Daddy," Anna replied. "You say so."
"Sweetheart do you know what certain means?"
The little girl shook her head no. He tried to figure out a way to explain the word to a four year old. Anna was incredibly smart for her age and tiny stature, but he still wished he didn't have to have the death conversation with her.
"It means something that we know and something that…we can count on."
"I don' get it, Daddy," she shrugged.
"It's okay. Um…"
"Here's an example," Peyton jumped in. "I am certain that there are sandwiches downstairs waiting for you."
"I like sandwiches!" Anna cried, popping up to a sitting position.
"I know you do," Peyton chuckled. "But do you understand what certain means now? It's knowing something will happen. Or knowing something is true. Like, I am certain that daddy and I will always be together."
Lucas smiled at her example, smiling even bigger as her eyes flicked up to his momentarily before resting back on their daughter.
"Do you understand it now?"
"Uh huh," Anna nodded. "I wanna be wiff you an Daddy always too," Anna pouted, picking at her father's shirt, a habit she picked up from her mother.
"And you know what? You will be," Peyton said.
"But….but what if you guys go to Heaven?"
"Then we will still be with you, baby girl," Lucas replied. He pointed to her chest. "Right there in your heart. When people go away, a part of them still stays inside of you. I know Keith is still with me. Peyton's mommies are still with her. You know why I know that?"
"Coz you know everything?" The little girl offered, seriously.
Peyton snorted and Lucas chuckled. "No, baby girl. I don't know everything. It's
because they love us and we love them. Love never goes away, sweetie, even if sometimes people do."
"I like it better when you're really here 'dough," Anna shrugged, with another pout.
"We like that better too," Lucas smiled, speaking for himself and Peyton. "But you know what is certain?"
"Sandwiches?"
"That," Lucas laughed. "And that Mommy and I will do whatever is in our power to stay here with you. What is also certain is that we love you always no matter what happens."
Anna smiled, secure in knowing when her Daddy said he'd try to do something he would do it and looked at her mother for more confirmation. "Daddy and I aren't ready for Heaven yet, baby. We plan to watch you and William grow up and go to school and get married and have babies of your own."
"But that won't happen for a long long long long looooooong time," Lucas cut in.
"Okay?" Peyton smiled, looking at her daughter.
"Kay," Anna echoed, with a satisfied grin. "Now I'm ready for my sandwiches."
Chuckling, Lucas sat up. "Okay baby bird. Lets go feed your face."
He climbed off the bed and set Anna down on the ground. Turning around he smiled, softly. William was fast asleep.
"I think we bored him," Peyton smirked. He helped her up off the bed as she cradled her son in one arm.
"You sure you don't wanna nap a bit more?" He asked.
"Naw, I'm fine. Besides, he's not gonna sleep for very long. Take our girl downstairs and feed her. I'll be down in a minute."
"Okay," he replied. She tilted her head up and he leaned down to meet her kiss, burying his hand in her hair and deepening it for a moment. A kiss full of promise…and love.
The family trooped out of the bedroom, Anna skipping along side Lucas with her hand tucked into his. Peyton and William made a beeline for his nursery while father and daughter walked to the steps.
As Peyton lay her sleeping baby down, she laughed to herself as she heard her overly loud and overly sweet daughter ask, suspiciously,
"Daddy? Do you really not know everything?"
Marvin MacFadden had become quite the chef since he moved out to the west coast. He'd found women loved a man who could cook, especially LA women who were too busy taking pilates to learn how to cook.
After he dropped two pineapple wedges on the grill for brunch and Rachel had squealed in delight, he'd found East coast girls loved a chef too. He and Rachel had spent most of the night catching up, a lot of it arguing about her dead-end relationship with the married wall street broker. When she finally closed the subject they lay down together and Rachel snuggled up to his side, sighing "Why couldn't I have found a nice guy like you Mouth?"
Obviously nothing happened. Mouth wanted to say nice guys didn't get the girl, but Lucas had proven him wrong. Mouth scoffed to himself. Then again if he looked like Lucas he'd have a line of women fighting each other and stabbing each other in the back to get to him.
Mouth envied Lucas, not his looks or even his success, but for finally finding happiness. Everyone was searching. It was everyone's main destination in life, but Lucas and Nathan Scott actually found it. And he knew it was only the kind of happiness one could get with a loving life partner by their side and children to look up to them. Mouth had a good life in LA, but truth be told, he was ready to settle down like the rest of his childhood friends.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts and he hopped off his stool and went to the door.
"Is Rachel awake yet?"
"Um, hello to you too, Brooke," Mouth replied with a raised eyebrow, as Brooke swooped past him, much like she did in her early days of high school where if she didn't know you, you were just in the way.
"Sorry Mouth," she said sincerely, turning to hug the young man. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good. Kinda hung over, but I'll live. How are you doing? You hungry? I have leftover waffle mix." He asked seriously, taking in the brunette's pallid face and red rimmed eyes.
"No I can't really stomach anything right now," she said with a sigh. She heard the shower running and sat down on the couch heavily.
"Rachel is taking a shower, but nothing happened," Mouth explained unnecessarily. Brooke could only muster a wane smirk.
Mouth sat down on the arm of the couch. "Brooke are you okay?"
Brooke's lower lip quivered and she shook her head quickly. "Not really," she rasped, as tears pushed through her eyes.
"This doesn't have anything to do with Lucas and Peyton does it?" He asked gently, scooting over next to her.
"I went over there this morning and completely screwed things up Mouth. I mean I said things that I could barely get away with if I were drunk but I wasn't drunk."
She paused, the idea of dulling her pain sounded appealing. "Got any hard liqueur?"
"Sorry," Mouth shook his head. "So, you fought with Peyton?"
"Yeah. I guess it was six years coming. This person that I am right now, Mouth. It's not me. I swear it's not me."
"I know Brooke. You're going through a tough time-"
"Lucas doesn't know. Mouth, he hates me."
"I'm sure he doesn't Brooke," Mouth reassured, wondering why it was Lucas and not Peyton Brooke was worried about. "He understands that you're going through a rough time. They both do."
"No she doesn't Mouth," Brooke scoffed. "All she can worry about is how I haven't asked for details about her perfect little life with our perfect guy!"
Mouth's mouth fell open, not believing his ears. Was he hearing her right? If he was, she surely wasn't the Brooke he remembered.
"Now look what you've done," Rachel said from the doorway. "You killed Mouth with your crazy husband stealing ramblings."
"Husband stealing?" Mouth managed to stumble out. He looked from Brooke to Rachel. "You two need to get out of New York City immediately."
"Actually Mouth, I'm trying to get her back to the Big rotten apple. My temptation may be there, but Brookie's is here."
"Brooke," Mouth gasped looking back at the brunette. "Are you-still in love with Lucas?"
"Stop looking at me like that Mouth. You said once that Luke and I had the same heart and that we were meant for each other."
"I also lost my virginity to a clean teen," Mouth said, air quoting clean teen. "Fell in love with her, got my heart broken by her, left town and got myself arrested and stranded in Honey Grove Texas all in the span of a week."
"Sorry again for that," Rachel added quickly.
"What are you saying what Lucas and I had wasn't true love?" Brooke demanded.
"It was love Brooke," Mouth amended. "But not the kind of love you and I are looking for. It wasn't forever love. It wasn't the kind of love you write a whole book about."
Brooke shook her head and looked away, holding onto the tears that choked her throat. Rachel sat down on the other side of her and took her hand, her eyes softening.
"Brooke, you left New York to get over a breakup only to realize you haven't gotten over Lucas. You have to treat this like a breakup and put some serious distance between you and him."
"I am inclined to agree," Mouth said on Brooke's other side.
"He was the first boy," she began to whimper. "-the first person who ever loved me for who I was. My parents don't even love me like that."
"Well first of all, Victoria is a particularly heinous strain of bitch, who shouldn't even by allowed to have the word mother in her resume," Rachel spat, of the waspish shrew Brooke had highbred to help run her company.
"Secondly, didn't Peyton love you for who you were first?" Rachel asked and Brooke looked up and felt herself break a little bit more. Nodding, imperceptibly she sniffled and then sighed the sigh of a woman who had finally come to a major decision.
Warriors walk alone. Writers do too, but we still appreciate reviews. :0)