2 long months had past since Brooke and Lucas found out the sex of their baby. They were elated with the news, but they decided to wait to share what gender was was with their friends and family. Sharing the news was so special to them, and Lucas wanted to wait until his mother was back in town with Andy and Lily. Brooke, now 6 months pregnant, spent a lot of time planning the gender reveal party they were having to tell their friends and family if it was girl or a boy.
"You guys are really killing me with this, it's not funny!" Peyton smirked as she sipped her iced tea. Brooke and Peyton were out to lunch to discuss the final details of the party coming up this weekend.
"You've lasted two months without knowing so you can wait a couple more days!" Brooke laughed as she rubbed her round belly. The baby had been kicking like crazy in the past month.
"I just don't understand why you guys wanted to keep it to yourselves for so long. I mean we haven't been able to buy you anything or help you out with the nursery." Peyton said.
"I know, I know." Brooke responded. "But this is something special for just Lucas and I to share. Our relationship has really benefited from doing all these activities ourselves."
"Okay, okay." Peyton replied. "But I still stand by my guess that you're having a girl. I can't see Brooke Davis Scott with anything else but a little princess."
"Well you'll just have to wait and see won't you. So remember - all decorations must be pink AND blue. I put the order in for the cupcakes this morning." Brooke stated.
"Got it. And you're doing the balloons for the reveal right?" Peyton asked as she got her wallet out to pay the bill.
"Yup, Luke got a big box yesterday. He's painting blue and pink question marks all over the outside of it. The balloons, either pink or blue, will be in the box and we'll open it to be released during the party." Brooke winked. "It's gonna be great."
"You're so over the top Brooke I love it." Peyton laughed. "You know when we found out Gage was a boy, I just called you and said '"Yo, I'm having a boy."
Brooke laughed, "Come on you know me, I love any excuse for a party."
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"Alright Jamie just put those paintbrushes down over here. Thanks for all you're help buddy." Lucas was standing in his driveway about to work on the gender reveal box for the party this weekend. Haley dropped Jamie off earlier so he could spend time with his Uncle Luke.
"What is this stuff for again Uncle Lucas?" The almost 5 year old asked.
"Well Jim-Jam, this is for the party this weekend. This is gonna help us tell everyone if Aunt Brooke is having a baby boy or a baby girl." Lucas explained. "Are you excited for the new baby bud? You're gonna have a cousin."
"Yeah if it's a boy I'm gonna teach him how to play basketball!" Jamie shouted excitedly.
"That'd would be real nice of you Jamie." Lucas said as he turned his focus to the white mercedes that pulled into his driveway. It was a car he did not recognize.
Just as Lucas could identify who was getting out of the car, he told Jamie to go inside.
"Hey Jamie do me a favor and run inside and get your Aunt Brooke for me. Tell her to come out here."
"Okay!" Jamie turned around and ran into the house.
"Hello Lucas." Victoria Davis walked the few feet up the driveway to where her son in law was standing.
Victoria ran the Clothes over Bros office in New York, while Brooke worked from Tree Hill. Their relationship had improved as Brooke built her company. Victoria was still very harsh towards Brooke sometimes, but Brooke needed her in order for Clothes over Bros to continue thriving. They've had a few big fights since Brooke and Lucas rekindled their relationship. One was so big that Victoria refused to attend their wedding, but they always made up for the sake of the company. Lucas didn't like Brooke giving in to her mom. He despised their relationship and didn't want Victoria anywhere near his family.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas barked just as Brooke walked out the door.
"Oh hey you made it." Brooke walked over to Victoria and hugged and kissed her on the cheek. Lucas just stood there in shock.
"Brooke can I talk to you for a second?" Lucas pulled Brooke over to the side by her arm. "What the hell is she doing here?"
"I invited her Lucas." Brooke uttered. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah there's a problem Brooke, you didn't tell me!" Lucas quietly shouted. He didn't want his mother-in-law to hear the small disagreement he was having with his wife.
"I didn't tell you because it was a last minute thing and I guess it slipped my mind. Victoria was able to get away from the office for a few days and I thought she should be here for this party." Brooke explained.
"Brooke you know how I feel about her. You should have asked me how I felt about this before you told her she could come down here." Lucas said starting to raise his voice from a whisper to a stern tone.
"Lucas would you keep your voice down, my mother is right over there. And listen, I know you have your reasons to dislike Victoria, but our relationship has it ups and downs and I believe people can really change. I want her to be a present grandmother in our child's life." Brooke said as she looked into Lucas's eyes and then down at her stomach.
Lucas just stood there in silence.
"Luke I know I should have told you but she's going to be apart of this baby's life whether you like it or not. This baby and our other future children will already be missing so many grandparents that…"
Lucas interrupted Brooke, "I hope you're not referring to Dan. Dan is a murderer Brooke and he deserves to be locked up forever." Lucas was so angry at this point that he was clenching his fists.
"Lucas I know he does that's not what I meant.." Brooke went on to finish her sentence before Victoria interrupted.
"So are you two gonna invite me in or am I going to be sleeping on the front lawn?" Victoria questioned.
"She's staying in our house? Why isn't she staying in a hotel?" Lucas asked.
Brooke just looked up at him, shrugged her shoulders and said, "Surprise!"
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"Ugh can I come down now?" Victoria was standing at the top of the stairs in Brooke and Lucas's home. Brooke and Lucas were putting the colored balloons into the cardboard box and taping it up before the party guests started arriving.
"Do you think this is enough tape?" Brooke asked Lucas who was looking down at the box.
"Well we're all out, and I don't have time to run to the store so it should be fine." Lucas replied.
"Okay all finished it's safe to come down!" Brooke yelled up to her mother.
"This place looks great Brooke I'm really impressed. By the way, I never got to tell you how wonderful your home is. You made a nice life for yourself here in Tree HIll.
"Thanks mom." Brooke said smiling.
"Mom? That's a new one." Lucas stated sarcastically.
"Yeah well I'm feeling sentimental today" Brooke laughed as she started to cry.
"God I sure won't miss these hormones." Lucas smirked as he went to greet Nathan, Haley and Jamie who just walked in the front door.
"Hello Scott family, thanks for coming." Lucas greeted them by holding open the door for them to come in.
"Thanks for having us we're so excited!" Haley beamed. "We all wore the color of our prediction. See, Jamie and I are in blue because we think it's a boy, and Nathan even wore pink because he's that sure it's a girl.
Lucas laughed, "Well you guys look great. Go ahead in the kitchen and help yourself to food, there's plenty."
As Jamie ran to find his Aunt Brooke he spotted the box in the middle of the floor.
"Uncle Luke it's our box that we made!" Jamie shouted as he reached a hand out to touch it.
"Jamie no!" Haley yelled as she grabbed her son's arm. "That's the surprise buddy. Don't touch that yet." Jamie was the most curious kid Haley ever met. He was always touching things and investigating everything around him.
"Okay sorry mama." Said Jamie as he turned to look up at Lucas. "Can I go outside and shoot baskets Uncle Lucas?"
"Sure man, I'll be out there in a sec." Lucas said. It was a gorgeous day out so he set up tables in the backyard for everyone to eat lunch. That's where they planned to release the balloons. Plus there was plenty of room in the yard where the kids could run around and play.
Haley greeted Brooke who was finishing setting out the food.
"Brooke this all looks so amazing!" Haley hugged Brooke making sure to be careful of her baby bump. "And hello to you little man." Haley leaned down to talk to Brooke's round stomach.
"You guys are too funny. You have such strong opinions, we should have placed bets on this." Brooke giggled.
Haley took a seat at the kitchen counter. "So who all is coming again?"
"Peyton, Jake, Jenny and Gage, Karen, Andy, and Lily, Deb, oh and possibly Rachel and her new husband - she's in town to visit her parents so she's gonna stop by.
"Oh that's nice I haven't seen Rachel in forever I wonder…" Haley stopped her sentence when she saw who was sitting at a table outside in the backyard. "Is that Victoria?!" Haley shouted.
"Oh yes and Victoria is attending as well." Brooke added quickly.
"When did this come up?" Haley asked.
"She had some time off and I invited her to come stay with us for a few days." Brooke explained. "She's been a really big help lately.
"How does Lucas feel about this?" Haley wondered.
"He's not happy." Brooke answered. "You know because of everything with Dan he believes that no one can truly change but I want to give my mother the chance."
"Well that's great Brooke, it really is. I'm proud of you." Haley smiled.
"Thank you Hales, now help me carry all this food outside."
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Everyone had arrived to the party and we're sitting outside eating, talking, and enjoying the beautiful day. Jenny, Jamie, and Lily were running around playing tag while little Gage was crawling around in the grass, Jake following close behind.
"So I know we still don't know the gender since you people are the slowest eaters in America and the balloons are still trapped in that box, but do you guys have any names picked out." Peyton asked Brooke and Lucas who sat across from her at the round table. The young adults were sitting outside watching the kids while Andy, Karen, Deb and Victoria were catching up inside over a cup of coffee.
"Yeah we actually have two names picked out. I love one and Luke loves another but we won't decide until we actually see the baby." Brooke said taking a bite of her salad.
Just as Lucas was going to make a joke about how his favorite name was going to win, they heard a car door slam from the driveway around front.
"Are you expecting anyone else?" Haley asked Brooke and Lucas.
"I guess it's Rachel!" Brooke exclaimed jumping up from the table. Lucas got up to follow her in order to greet more guests into his home.
"Wait for me I want to see Rachel, it's been so long!" Peyton started to follow Brooke and Lucas. "Jake keep an eye on the kids I'll be right back."
"Well thanks for leaving us at the table alone guys." laughed Nathan.
"Come on hubby let's go see what all the fuss is about." Haley stood up, grabbed her husband's arm and they walked hand in hand around front.
They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who was standing in the driveway. "No way.." uttered Nathan.
Dan was standing by his black suburban just staring at everyone.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Haley asked looking at Lucas who looked like he was about to explode but for some reason he just stood in his place unable to move.
Just before anyone could say anything else, Jamie came running from the backyard of the house where the kids were left playing.
"Mama! Mama!" Jamie yelled. "I'm sorry it was an accident!
Everyone turned their attention from the uninvited party guest to the 4 year old who had just run from behind the house screaming.
"What was an accident buddy?" Haley said concerned as she looked down at her son.
But he didn't need to answer, everyone could already see what happened and Jamie just pointed to the pink balloons that flew high into the sky behind the house.
"Whoopsie…" Jamie whispered.