A/N: Guys, I love my reviews! I have the best readers ever! Having said that, I am kinda mad at myself for writing a mystery fic, cause I cant actually respond to people's comments! lol. But each and every one of them inspire me to write faster and give you more. Do you see how quickly the chapters are coming?!? Its all from your reviews! I dont have the chapters written in advance like my other fics, so even I am surprised at how quickly the pages are turning.
Lindsay is trying her best to breach Lucas' defenses. She is trying to bond with him by learning everything about him, hoping it will give her some insight into how to make him love her more. She vacilates between wanting to be Lucas' Peyton, and wanting him to love her for herself. So yeah, it gets interesting writing her.
DBlock21- I do not know how long the fic is going to be, since I am writing it one/two chapters at a time. If the story is dragging for you, you are free to stop reading and come back once several chapters are posted to see if you like where its going. If not- I cant please everyone. Check out one of my other fics that arent suspenseful.
This chapter is coming out same day because I asked for 20, and you gave me so much more! I am going to start writing the next chapter now, and hopefully it will be out by the weekend, cause I want to begin responding to your reviews!
So, just so everyone's clear. Its been 4 years since they graduated high school and Peyton disappeared. No more time jumps for a while.
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Chapter 5 The Places You'll Go, The People You'll Meet
22-year-old Bonnie Scoyer loved her life. She loved living in a small town, where she could walk everywhere she needed to go, where perfect strangers waved and said hello, and where her kids could play freely without worry, because everyone knew who they were and looked out for them. They were the famous Scoyer twins after all, the babies that launched an empire, so to speak.
She loved the diner layout, which had a homey feel- there was a grassy area in front of the diner that was just great for kids to romp and play, in perfect view of their parents waiting for their meals inside. Not exactly McDonalds playspace, but just right for small town living. It was one of these parents, who, glancing casually at the sketchpad Bonnie was doodling on as she watched her kids crawl about on a blanket, was amazed at the likeness Bonnie was able to reproduce on paper, and begged Bonnie to do a similar portrait for her kids.
At that point, Bonnie had been working at the diner for a year, though now she only rarely worked a shift. Before her fame and fortune (small town style), she lived in the tiny apartment above the diner, thanks to the graciousness of the diner owner, Delores Brown.
And that was the first commission that turned Bonnie Scoyer from waitress single mom to portrait artist extraordinaire. People came from miles around to have their children's portrait done, because Bonnie did not do the typical stiff portrait, complete with poses and backdrops. No- her portraits were life in motion- a little boy shooting a basketball, a little girl holding her breath underwater as she learned to swim, and the famous portrait that started it all, a twin boy and girl crawling around on a blanket, looking at each other and smiling, as if at any moment they would burst into laughter. And when people found out that the twins were also the first children born at the start of the new year, (the news station did a story on the hometown talent, since the parent that discovered her also happened to be an anchorwoman), it just compounded the notoriety of the twin's portrait and the woman who drew it.
They came for her talent, but they returned to experience the joy that was Bonnie, and later, the sunshine that were her kids. For Bonnie full of life, happiness oozing out of every pore of her being. And it was obvious that one source of her joy lay in her children, who were the souls of contentment, never seen without a smile on their faces. They were a family that believed in sharing that happiness with everyone they came in contact with, and the ones they met were only too willing to accept it.
Some people came for the music, because Bonnie would seldom do anything without a cd playing in the background. Being in Texas, it was typically country music of course, but country music that was played in an atmosphere that encouraged you to get up and dance, sway to the music, or sing at the top of your lungs, no matter that you couldn't hold a tune to save your soul, because that's what Bonnie and her kids did.
She soon moved from the tiny apartment over top of the diner into a duplex with a yard- a must with two growing children. Her gallery was on Main St, and was aptly named 'Life In Motion', dedicated to Delores, who had coined the phrase first. She had repeatedly told Bonnie of her talent, but it had taken an outsider to make Bonnie believe her.
So here she was, heading over to her neighbors house to pick up the joys of her life, basking in the beautiful day. She had woken up this morning with a song in her heart, the feeling that life was about to get exponentially better, and she was just waiting for that moment of clarity, when she would recognize that this was the moment that would change her life.
It was that feeling that allowed her not to grumble when Del called her, frantic because someone called in sick and she was short on help. Never forgetting the woman who gave her a job, taking a chance on a homeless hitchhiker, several months pregnant, with no work history to speak of, Bonnie was always available to swing a shift when there was a need, even though she no longer worked full-time at the diner.
She entered the front gate, smiling as she neared the squeals and shouts coming from the backyard shared with her neighbor, Tonya, who lived on the other side of the duplex. Everyone was in the back of the duplex, the twins in their bathing suits, shrieking in delight as they ran through the sprinklers; Tony, Tonya's 15 month old son, bouncing on his chubby legs and clapping at the sight of the 3 year olds cavorting in the water.
It was Peanut who saw her first. Halting in her tracks, her brother running into her back, she changed course and began running full speed to the woman who had just turned the corner of the house.
"Mommy!" Uncaring that her daughter would soak her clothes, Bonnie scooped her up and nuzzled her neck, before beginning their ritual greeting of rubbing noses. "Hey Peanut, how was your day?"
She beamed, arms tight around her mother's neck, as she began to retell her day, from when she woke up and got dressed, to when she helped Tonya feed Tony for lunch, who got food alllll over the place, so that's why they were outside, since Tony needed a bath in the sprinklers.
Bonnie nodded and smiled at her duaghter's rendition of the day, laying a smacking kiss on her forehead at the end of it before setting her down on the ground. She reached out and picked up her son, who waited patiently for his turn, knowing he would get the exact same treatment at his sister. She gave him his Eskimo kiss and he wrapped his arms around her neck, grinning at her as she frowned at him, bouncing him in her arms. "Did you get heavier? I swear, your muscles are getting bigger everyday!" She groaned and staggered as he flexed his tiny arms, showing her his muscles, making everyone giggle at her theatrics.
"Tonya," she called out. "What are you feeding my kids?"
"Hey, you're the reason why we all eat so good. Blame yourself if they're too heavy!" Tonya laughed, scooping Tony up and blowing raspberries on his belly, his laughter rolling through the yard.
It seemed only fitting that Bonnie hire Tonya as her assistant a year ago, when her gallery opened and she discovered that business was so good that she would need help. Instead of being pregnant, Tonya at the time had a infant to take care of, but her story had been otherwise similar to Bonnie's, with no job and little work history. Giving Tonya the same chance that was given to her, she allowed her to live on the other half of her duplex house free of charge until she could get on her feet, and work as the office manager of the gallery, a gallery that was built kid-friendly, since Bonnie often brought her own young children to work with her.
It was the perfect arrangement for two single mothers with young children and no family. They had become each other's family, and their children were like siblings, having been raised together, at first out of necessity, and now, out of love.
"Momma, I stwong!" Yoda said seriously, his lisp more pronounced because he was struggling to keep the grin off his face.
Bonnie smiled at his difficulty with the letter 'r,' grateful that after being born 6 weeks early, a lisp was his only problem developmental problem, and one he would eventually grow out of. The doctor had estimated their period of conception mid-May, and she wasn't due until mid-February. Imagine her fear and dismay when her water broke early one morning on the last day of December. She prayed all the way to the hospital, which was an hour away, hoping that her babies would be alright. Her son came first, nicknamed Yoda for his wisened old man look, due to the myriad of wrinkles all over his body, and his ears, greatly pronounced since his head was so tiny. Her baby girl had come next, tiny in comparison to her brother. The doctors said it was actually a good thing they were born early, because her brother had been consuming most of the nutrients, and had they gone full-term, she might not have survived so long without nourishment. So while he was a chunker of a premie, weighing almost 5 pounds at birth, she weighed in at a little over a pound, so tiny that when curled up she could fit in the palm of her mother's hand- hence the nickname, Peanut.
They both thrived in the NICU, even Peanut, who was small but could breathe on her own and ate like a horse. Bonnie was able to stay nearby in a Ronald McDonald house until they were ready to come home, right about the time of their predicted birthdate. Being first of the year babies, Bonnie received multiple gifts from different sponsors, including a years supply of pampers and formula if needed, baby clothes both bought and knitted from caring women from neighboring towns, a double stroller from the nurse who took care of them in the hospital, and from her own townspeople, clothes and casseroles when she finally brought them home from the hospital.
Its what she loved about a small town- once she had been adopted by Delores, whose own daughter was away at college, she had been accepted by the entire town. There was always an arm waiting to hold a twin, or feed it, or change it. Delores not only allowed her the 6 weeks off she stayed near hospital; her job was waiting for her when she returned home. The twins were the newest mascots of Honey Grove, holding court in a playpen in the the middle of the diner, where it was not unusual for someone to scoop them up and play with them while they were waiting for their food. They didn't worry about strangers snatching the babies- those children had a town full of mothers, and no one got near the door before someone swept in and brought the baby back into the heart of the diner, cognizant of the rules. You could play with the babies all you wanted, but they went nowhere near the doors.
To look at them now you would never know that they came into the world as preemies, and Bonnie thanked God for that blessing everyday. They had to grow up short a father, she was happy they weren't missing anything else in their lives. Bonnie didn't worry, however. She had awaken this morning feeling like another blessing was coming her way- that sometime today her life was going to change. And after all the other blessings she'd incurred since arriving at Honey Grove, she couldn't wait to see what it would be.
"So who's ready to go to the book signing?"
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Can I tell you how much I feel and love this story? I teared up when I wrote Luke's angst, and I have this huge smile on my face now writing the kid scenes. I just wish Peyton was in this story so I could enjoy her too, but the muse says nope. Sorry. :(
Ok, so you know from reading WS that I like to add new characters to the mix. So, what do you think of Bonnie? Tonya? Anybody want to see Bonnie take Lucas away from Lindsay? How about Tonya? Can you get with the interracial love? lol
How many people guessed there would be kids in this fic? If you remembered the A/N from the beginning of WS, then you might recall that I am a kidfic writer from the top of my head to the bottom of my pretty toes. Be honest! :)
Anybody have predictions? I know I still haven't answered the question of whether Peyton is alive or not, and I'm sorry, but you have to blame the muse. I am just the conduit, and she says she's not telling if Peyton is still alive out there or not. You will just have to guess for right now, though most people already have a feeling. ;)
Spoiler alert if you scroll down
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You get a clue about where Peyton is in the next chapter, when Lucas finds out she's alive. :)