My Saving Grace

Chapter 9 Family Moments

It is always hard to adjust to new things and new people.

Lucas was downstairs in the kitchen typing on his lap top. He had been writing a lot lately. For some reason he had been feeling really inspired. It might be because he and Peyton were trying to have a baby, and really liked trying to make a baby with her. It was more fun than their honeymoon.

Peyton walked in with the mail. "Hey baby," she leaned in and gave him a simple kiss. "You still working on your new book?"

"Yeah I'm already on chapter six."

"That's good. I am so proud of you." She smiled, "I have something really important to tell you."

"You're pregnant," he stood up from the table.

"Oh my God you're pregnant," Riley was shocked when she walked into the kitchen.

"No, no, no," Peyton stopped them from getting excited or upset or whatever emotions that might feel. "I'm not pregnant, but Lucas you are now officially Preston's father. The papers came in today." She was so happy.

"That's great baby," He hugged her.

Riley looked surprised. "I didn't know you were adopting Preston." No one ever talked to her anymore about anything.

"Yeah we decided that it was for the best."

"Oh," she was hurt that no one ever talked to her. "Okay."

"You're okay with it aren't you?" Lucas asked her.

"Yeah I already think of him as my brother anyways." She was happy, but just disappointed that they didn't ask her if she wanted Peyton to adopt her. "Are you planning on getting pregnant?"

Peyton smiled, "Yeah actually we are."

"Oh," she turned to leave.

"Riley is something wrong?"

"No I'm just going to go back to my room."

Peyton and Lucas looked at each other. "I'll talk to her later." Lucas told Peyton. "So I'm really Preston's father?"

"Yeah you are."

He gave her a kiss.

"Where is Preston? I want to give him the good news."

"He's in his room."

Peyton shook her head. "He hasn't left his room in a week."

"He hasn't talked to Sophie either, has he?"

"No," Peyton didn't really know what to do. "I'm really worried about him."

"Me too," Lucas admitted.

……………………………………

Riley was in her room on the phone. She didn't have her phone privileges back, but she really needed to talk to her best friend. It was an emergency.

"They didn't even tell you that he was adopting Preston." Katie's voice said on the other end of the phone.

"No," Riley said. "I can't believe how out of the loop I feel."

"I told you when I was there Riley they don't care about you. The only reason your dad is even around is because your mom is dead. You know it is true."

"Maybe Peyton doesn't like me."

"I thought you said that she was always so cool."

"She is cool, but I don't really feel like I am apart of the family."

"Do you want Peyton to adopt you?"

"No, I mean yes, Maybe, I don't know," she was frustrated. "I just want to feel like I'm part of this family too."

"I hate to tell you this but your dad has never really been your family. You may be living with him, but he's got a new family now." Katie always found away to make Riley doubt herself and her dad.

"Yeah I got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah talk to you later."

Riley hung up. She didn't want to believe that Katie was right. She was apart of the family too. At least she hoped they wouldn't replace her with a new baby.

…………………………………………………..

Preston was in his room where he had spent most of his time for the past week. He didn't really feel like getting out or talking to anyone.

Peyton knocked on the door and then walked in. "Hey honey you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"I wanted to tell you that the adoption was final today. Lucas is officially your dad. You are now Preston Scott." She said happily.

"That's cool," he just stared into space.

"Okay so this dark and depressing thing that you are doing is not good, and it is really scaring me."

"I'm sorry."

"I think we should talk about it."

"There is nothing to talk about." He snapped at her.

"There is a lot to talk about."

"I just want to be alone." He snapped at her again.

His attitude hurt her feelings. She wasn't used to him being that way towards her or towards anyone. "Okay but if you want to talk I'm here."

"Yeah I know."

Peyton took the hint and left. She was really worried about her son.

……………………………………………….

Riley was lying on her bed reading and trying to forget about the way she had been feeling. Peyton knocked on the door, and Riley told her to come in.

"Hey pretty girl what ya doing?"

"Just reading not really much I can do since I'm grounded."

"Yeah that kind of sucks," Peyton sat down on Riley's bed.

"I did the crime so I have to do the time."

"You are such a good kid Riley. I want you to know how proud I am of you."

"Yeah," Riley continued reading.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Riley lied.

"Okay I'm getting kind of tired of my children lying to me. I can tell when something is bothering you guys. So spill it."

"I'm not your kid." Riley told her. "Preston is your son and now he is dad's son, and when you have a baby the baby will be yours and dad's son, but I'm not your daughter. No one even asked me if I wanted to be your daughter."

Peyton had no idea Riley felt that way. "Riley…."

"You don't have to say anything. I get that I'm not really apart of this family."

"Oh my God you are so wrong Riley Hannah Scott. I don't ever want you to hear you say anything like that ever again." Peyton stood up from the bed. "I love as if you were my daughter."

"But I'm not. I mean you didn't even ask me to be your daughter."

"I didn't ask you to be my daughter because you had an amazing mother, and I know that I can never replace her. I would never even try."

"I know, but it would have been nice if you guys would have talked to me about Preston's adoption. I would have liked to have been clued in. I want to feel like I am apart of the family. I want to be involved."

Peyton sits back on the bed. "I'm sorry that we have been leaving you out. It was not our intentions, and it will not happen again. The day I said I do to your father was the best day of my life not just because I was marrying the man I love, but because I was getting an amazing daughter, and I do not need a piece of paper to tell me how much I love you. And as for your dad he loves you too. He is so proud of you, and you will always be the biggest part of his life."

Riley smiled, "I love you too."

Peyton gives her a hug.

"You're right I'm not ready for you to adopt me, but I think my mom would be happy to know that I have someone like you in my life."

"I'll always be here for you kiddo no matter what."

Peyton stood up from the bed. "Hey Peyton," Riley stopped her.

"Yeah."

"Could you not tell my dad I was feeling insecure about things?"

"It's our little secret." Peyton smiled.

Riley was feeling better about the situation.

……………………………………………………………..

Sophie was sitting in her apartment alone. She had been having a bad week. She had hoped to talk to Preston, but he wasn't answering her calls, and she knew that he didn't want to have anything to do with her.

She heard a knock on the door and figured it was the pizza guy. She was shocked when she saw Preston standing on the other side. "Preston."

"I probably should have come sooner, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to say to you."

"Pres…."

He cuts her off, "Let me talk because you owe me that much."

Sophie nods her head, and Preston walks into the apartment. "When I was a little baby you were my mother. You were the one that took care of me and loved me at least you were supposed too. When you left me with Jason you lost out. You had your chance to be my mother, but you abandoned me, and I don't understand why you would even be here right now."

He took a deep breath. "I'm glad that you left me because when you did Peyton found me. She saved me, and that makes her my mother in everyway that counts. When the beatings got tough and rough she didn't leave me. She fought for me, and because of her I have a pretty damn good life."

He shows her the adoption papers. "These came into today. I'm no longer a Parker. I'm a Scott, and that's the way it should be. I have parents that love me, and that is all I have ever really wanted."

Sophie has tears in her eyes.

"When I first found out who you were I was hoping to have a relationship with you, but after thinking about it for a while I don't need to have a relationship with you. And I think that the only reason that you came back is because you needed to have a relationship with me. It has never been about me for you, and that's okay, but my MOM she always puts me first."

"Do you want me to leave town?"

"Yeah I do because you had your chance to be my mother and you blew it. Peyton is my mom and Lucas is my dad, and as far as I'm concerned you and Jason were just the people that made it possible for me to find the people that have always been destined to be my real parents. A family isn't about blood ties, but about love, and they give that to me everyday."

"I just wanted to make sure you were happy and healthy."

"I am."

He smiled and walked to the door. "You did the right thing by leaving me all those years ago, and I think that you should do the same thing now, but this time do it for me."

He didn't let her say anything else. She knew that there wasn't anything she could say to make him change his mind.

………………………………………….

The next morning Lucas and Peyton walked downstairs to find their children cooking them breakfast. "Hey what is this all about?"

Riley and Preston smiled. "We wanted to do something nice for you guys." Riley told them.

"And we wanted to have breakfast as a family because family really is the most important thing."

Peyton smiled. "Are you feeling better Preston?"

"Yeah I'm feeling great. I have the best mom and dad in the world."

"Me too," Riley smiled. "We are a pretty awesome family."

"I would have to totally agree." Lucas smiled.

Peyton walked outside and found a note taped to the door addressed to her.

Dear Peyton,

I came to Tree Hill hoping to reconcile with my son, but that's not going to happen because he isn't my son anymore. He is yours in everyway that counts. You've have raised him well, and I know that all those years ago I did make the right decision when I left because in the end he ended up with you. I will never bother you again, and I hope that you and your family get everything you ever wanted. You deserve all the happiness in the world.

Thank You, Sophie

Peyton smiled and looked into the kitchen to see her family smiling and having a good time. Her family was perfect.

Okay so first of all I want to apologize for not updating sooner. I was kind of stomped on how I wanted this chapter to go. At first Sophie was going to become apart of his life, but then I thought about it, and my dad wasn't apart of my life, and I don't think that if he came back into my life I would really want him too. A family really isn't about blood relations, but about who loves you and who is always there for you. So I decided to write it this way. I hope you guys are okay with it, and I'm sorry if some of you were wanting it to go another way.

I wrote the Riley stuff the way I did becuase Shaybay55 has been telling me throughout this story that I don't focus enough on Riley, and I make it feel like it is all about Preston/Lucas/Peyton. So I decided that I was going to put it in the fic. Riley was feeling insecure and left out, and so I hope you guys liked that part too, and I'm going to try to get better from now on.

I want to thank all of those who review. You guys really are incredible and you never fail to amaze me. I hope that I don't dissappoint you guys with my writing, and that you stick with me until the end.

Let me know what you thought!