A/N: Hey guys! Loved Monday's Epi! I'm kinda glad Sam is gone, because I didnt think she acted very well. I feel bad for Brooke, but I think it was the right thing for Brooke to do, and noble, because she put Sam's needs before her own. Daphne is an awesome actress! She had me feeling sorry for Bitch-toria! Wow! I even loved those scenes! I am glad to see Nino and Nathan getting along- that caught me by surprise. Didnt like the pic they picked for Mia's album. Looks like the Comet's almost done! Maybe they'll drive to the wedding in it! :)

And I am glad to see they are finally letting Leyton kiss again. It was cute at first, but those forehead kisses were getting on my nerves. What was he, her dad? Couples do liplock when pregnant, and I am glad they remembered that little fact. Okay on to the chapter.

So apologies. I was away all weekend without my laptop, so the chapter's a bit late, but I made it long as compensation. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks to Amanda for mommy knowledge!

Continue with the 'short stories!' guys! they make my day!

bkworm52 brought up a great point I was hoping you guys would catch. Bonnie in this story is a lot more open and sunny than the original Peyton, and I did that on purpose. In a fic I read, and I wish I knew which one it was so I could give credit to them, Peyton had a daughter, and she was open and bubbly and sunshiney and happy, and when people tried to figure out how two broody blondes could have such a happy child, Brooke would tell them that before all the crappy things happened to Peyton, that was how she was. I think Peyton's angst and distrust of the world came from her very real shitty experiences, so if she didnt remember the experiences she had to make her closed off from fear of people leaving, she wouldnt be so emo. Plus, with her memory gone, she has had to trust people, and so far, everyone she has placed trust in has come through, so her 'experiences' with being open have been different from Peyton. So even if she regains her memory, she will still have those experiences to remember and not go totally back to emo.

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Chapter 10 Memories

"So where was I born?"

"Tree Hill. It's a small town in North Carolina. You lived there all your life."

"Do I have any brothers or sisters?"

"A half-brother. His name is Derek."

"Older or younger?"

"Older."

"And my parents? Are they still alive?"

Lucas and Brooke shared a glance. How much of her not so pleasant memories should they bring up? Especially since Lucas had not in fact been able to make contact with Larry directly, after repeated attempts to call and let him know his daughter was still alive. Lucas tookd the lead and just answered the question she asked, matter of factly.

"Your dad is. Your mom passed away."

"Oh." Peyton said. She sat for a moment, digesting the information, before plunging back in.

"Am I 22? I figured cause I went to Molly's senior prom we were the same age, but I wasn't sure."

"Yes you are. You graduated high school right before….right before we left Tree Hill." Brooke said, stumbling over the memory of the time of the plane crash.

"That's good to know. What was I planning to do with my life?" Peyton said, curious, closing the last of the photo albums Brooke had brought with her.

Brooke laughed. "Nobody had any idea, to be honest. In your yearbook, you left your goal section blank. You left Tree Hill for the summer because you had gotten an internship with a record label called Syre records, but before that you managed a club, produced an album, and drew pictures." She smiled. "Though, drawing pictures is kind of an understatement. You had a comic series in a popular magazine, and you designed the artwork for Clothes over Bros."

"Wait a second!" Peyton stood up and went quickly out of the room, returning a little later with a handful of clothes. "These are my designs?"

Brooke took the clothes from Peyton reverently, running a trembling hand over the logos. She sniffed, dabbing a hand under each eye to stop the tears from falling yet again. "I'm sorry. It's just…" She looked Peyton in the eye. "I'm glad you had a piece of me with you all this time." She picked up a tank top, smiling at the memory. "This one was the first piece of art I stole from you, when I was first starting up. After you found out what I had done with it, you let me take some other designs, and now, here we are."

Peyton looked at the fiery heart, running her hand over it as well. "I created this?" she mused. "I was wondering why it was my favorite." She frowned, staring at it. "But wait, it's missing something, isn't it? Shouldn't it have a three in the middle of it?" She looked up at Brooke. "And how did you get it from the sidewalk?"

Lucas and Brooke looked at each other, confused, before the light went on for both of them at the same time. Lucas lowered his head to his hands and Brooke's eyes watered.

"Peyton, you remembered something." Brooke said softly.

"I-I guess." Peyton stuttered confused. "More like, it popped in my head. I knew something was missing, and when I thought about it, a picture of the logo appeared in my head as a sidewalk drawing, with the number 3 inside the heart."

Lucas spoke up. "It was a basketball court." He said, raising his own brightened eyes to Peyton. "You drew that on the rivercourt when I got into a car accident." He laughed. "Your own version of a hallmark get well card."

Peyton got excited. "So it's a memory from my past? The doctor's said that I probably wouldn't remember anything because it's been so long since I've lost my memory, but maybe I just need things from my past to help as triggers!"

She looked at Brooke, and at Lucas. "Do you have anymore of my things with you?"

"No." Brooke said apologetically. "I just bought my pictures. I'm afraid your father got rid of all of your belongings."

"Not everything." Lucas said cryptically. Before he could say anything more, Anna wandered in, rubbing her eyes.

"Momma, you were tryna trick us!" She accused, climbing onto the couch and into her mother's lap, ignoring the adults around her as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder.

"How was I trying to trick you, baby?" Peyton said, smoothing Anna's hair from her face and gently rocking her side to side.

"You told Aunt Tonya to put on a movie so we would fall asleep and take a nap, so you could play with Mr. Scott without us!" Anna accused.

"I would never trick my baby, Peanut. If you fell asleep, its because you were tired. But now that you're up, you are welcome to join us. But right now we are just looking at photo albums."

Anna sat up in her mother's lap. "Pictures?" she said excitedly. "Yay! I'll go get my picture album!" She hopped off Peyton's lap and began to run towards the stairs.

"Peanut!" Anna skidded to a halt and turned expectantly. "Bring the baby book and your brother's too."

"But he's not up yet!" Anna said innocently, eyes wide, hoping to have the attention all to herself.

"I know, but if you get it now, you'll kill two birds with one stone." Peyton explained patiently.

"I'll get his book too mama, I don't need to hurt no birds. 'Sides, I don't got no stones anyway." She said as she ran up the stairs.

Peyton chuckled, turning back to Lucas and Brooke. "Does she get that from you?" she asked casually, not realizing how powerfully her words affected him.

Lucas shook his head, eyes bright again. "No." he whispered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "No, it looks like I can only claim the eyes. The sassiness is all you."

Peyton widened her eyes. "Really?" She looked towards the stairs. "I'm sassy?"

"And quick-tongued and sharp, with a great sense of humor, though not before 10 in the morning." Brooke said. She laughed. "You are so not a morning person. Sometimes I would call you PMS. Peyton Marie Sawyer."

"Your middle name is really Elizabeth," Lucas jumped in, recovered from the moment it really hit him that he and Peyton had created a child that was them, and he had just gained permission to enter into a lifetime of learning what was his and what was hers in their children. It was like a dream come true.

They were interrupted once again by another newcomer- Keith had awakened, and was rubbing his eyes sleepily as he made his way to his mother. Like his sister before him, he crawled into Peyton's lap and curled into her arms. Unlike his sister before him, he said not a word, but drifted back off to sleep.

Peyton grinned and placed a kiss on his head. She loved her kids. She glanced up at Lucas, chuckling softly. "You've gotta love it, having two at one time. It's cool somedays, other days not so much. They're twins, so it's like they share the same brain. Anna's awake, so Keith automatically wakes up. Unluckily for him though, because like today, sometimes he's not quite ready yet." She said, adjusting him to a more comfortable position.

"I can hold him for you…if he's heavy." Lucas added hastily, trying his best not to overstep his bounds, but unable to reign in his desire to connect with his child.

"Oh, he's not heavy. I'm used to it." Peyton said dismissively. She hesitated, as if realizing why Lucas had really offered. "But you can hold him just to hold him if you want."

"You are his father, after all." She added tentatively at the end, as if to test the waters.

Lucas was unable to stop the grin from spreading across his face. He was a father! He rose up and moved to where Peyton was sitting, his grin fading away as he concentrated on making the transfer without waking the little boy up. He didn't want him to wake afraid and fight the embrace; feeling the weight of his son in his arms for the first time was enough for now.

"Are you okay with this?" Peyton said hesitantly. "With them?"

She hurriedly rushed her next words, not really understanding what was taking her daughter so long, but grateful that she hadn't yet returned. "I can understand if you aren't ready to be a part of their lives. It's a lot to take in all at once. They know they have a dad, and that I am looking for him, but they know him as Clyde Scoyer. I'd rather them live with a memory than to force them on you if you need time to think about it."

Lucas looked down at his son's face, angelic in repose, before looking back at Peyton. "As far as I'm concerned, you can tell them right now. I meant what I said yesterday. They are like a dream come true. I was ready to be a father to them when they were just possibilities we would talk about in the future. So now that I know about them, there is nothing that will keep me from being there for them."

"As much as you are comfortable with," he added, not sure where she stood on the issue.

He was prevented from hearing an answer by the strange sounds coming from the stairs.

Thunk, kerplunk! Thunk, kerplunk!

Anna's tiny back appeared, and soon after her arms, stretched out as she strained to pull something along with her. Peyton jumped up and went to help her, her laughter spilling out as she took sight of what made so much noise on the steps.

Anna had gathered everything that was of importance to her, from the photo albums she was told to bring, to her stuffed animals, favorite books, and favorite clothing items. It was a wonder there was anything left in her room! She had wrapped it all up in a blanket, and it was so heavy she had to drag it down the stairs, one step at a time. She was the 'thunk,' the bag the 'kerplunk.'

She beamed at her mother, who had taken the sheet from her, and told her 'thank you' over her shoulder, as she made her way to where Lucas and Brooke sat on the couch, bemused at the interaction. Catching sight of her brother on Lucas' lap, and not to be outdone, she scrambled into Brooke's lap, who was too surprised to stop her. She grabbed Brooke's arms and wrapped them around her tiny waist, before holding her hands out for her things. "Momma, can you bring me my things so I can show the nice Ms. lady and Mr. Scott?" She turned to look at Brooke. "I don't know your name, so I have to call you lady. But you seem nice, so I added that in."

"That's your Aunt Brooke, Peanut." Peyton said, making her way with Anna's packages back to the couch. "And did you ask if you could sit on her lap?" Peyton reprimanded.

"It's okay. P. Sawyer. I don't mind." Brooke said hastily, reluctant to lose contact with the curly-headed toddler.

"If it's okay with you, then okay. But Anna Brooke knows better, doesn't she?" Peyton raised a brow at Anna.

Anna shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands in the air. "Yes, I know better Mama. I'm not supposed to sit on strange people's laps. But she's with Mr. Scott, and Brother is on Mr. Scott's lap, so it's only fair that I get to sit on Aunt Brooke's lap."

She turned to look at Keith, still slumbering on Lucas' lap. "Oh and look Momma!" Anna said, eager to change the subject. "Keith, Lucas!" she said, pointing first to Keith, then Lucas. "Anna, Brooke!" she continued, pointing at herself, then turning around to point at Brooke. She collapsed against Brooke's chest in giggles, as if she had just made the biggest joke in history.

"Nice try changing the subject, but just so we're clear, you ask before you sit in people's laps, and you don't sit in stranger's laps. Understood?"

"Understood." Anna nodded.

Brooke turned Anna around to face her as she gently turned her attention back to her. "Your mom is right. I am your Aunt, so it's okay, but you have to be careful out there. There are a lot of people who aren't nice to little kids, even ones as special as you and your brother."

Anna nodded. "Like the mean lady at the bookstore."

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "What mean lady at the bookstore?"

Lucas shook his head, mumbling, "I forgot about that!" as Anna launched into the story of how she first met Lucas, and her interaction with Lindsay. Seeing the steam that began to rise from Brooke's ears, Lucas attempted to diffuse the situation.

"Lindsay wasn't mean, per say, she just wasn't very nice. She's not too good with kids."

Both Brooke and Anna turned at the same time and shot him a glare, causing him to sit back and throw up his free hand in surrender.

Brooke turned her gaze back to Anna. "You don't have to worry about that mean Lindsay anymore. Aunt Brooke will make sure she never talks mean to my niece again."

Anna grinned, then turned to her mother. "I like Aunt Brooke! She's a lot like Aunt Tonya!"

"I'm glad Peanut. Are you ready to show Aunt Brooke and Mr. Lucas your photo album, now?"

Anna nodded vigorously, before pointing to the bag. "But I have to show my other stuff too, Momma."

"Well, we'll compromise. I'll pull it out, and you can tell them what it is, but they will stay on the table and the couch with me. And then you can hold you and your brother's baby book in your lap when you show that to them. Deal?"

Anna thought about it for a moment, then nodded her head. "Deal, but only if I can show them my album after."

"That's fine, but then your brother can show them his book too when he wakes up."

Anna nodded in agreement, then proceeded to tell Brooke and Lucas about her favorite stuffed animals, which all had names, her favorite books, which had brief summaries she added to the titles, and her favorite dress up clothes- which included a princess, a fairy, and a jedi knight costume- 'for when she played with Yoda.'

After all the paraphernalia was laid out, Anna turned to the first page of the baby book, which had a picture of Peyton and Lucas from Honeygrove's prom inside. "That's mommy, and that's my daddy. He loves me very much, even though he's not here. He's lost, and mommy has to find him." She said matter-of factly. She turned the page. "And that's me and Keith in mommy's belly. And look, that's me when I came out. I was smmmaaallll!"

Everyone chuckled at the little girl's exaggeration. She proceeded to take them through the baby book, which actually consisted of picture of both Anna and Keith as infants up to one year. Anna explained why.

"Mama made us one book, cause when we were little, we didn't like to be separated. We would cry and cry and cry. So mama gave in, and we got to sleep in the same crib and play in the same playpen, and share the same baby book! But we got our own books when we turned one, even though some of the pictures are still the same."

Keith had perfect timing, waking up just as Anna turned the last page of the baby book, a birthday party where the twins had turned one.

"Momma?" Keith said, confused, as he sat up. Lucas held his breath, scared that Keith would be frightened by someone other than his mother holding him when he woke up. But when Keith saw that it was Lucas holding him, he relaxed and adjusted himself, sitting up and leaning back against Lucas' chest, adjusting his arms much like his sister had with Brooke earlier.

He looked around, trying to orient to his surroundings. "Baby pictures?" he said to noone in particular. He grinned. "I was a han'some baby. Mama said." He said proudly.

Lucas rubbed his chin on top of Keith's head absentmindedly. "You sure were! You looked just like your daddy when he was a baby." Lucas' eyes widened and he raised his head, gaze stricken as he locked eyes with Peyton's above Keith's head. He did not mean to let that slip. They hadn't discussed when and what they would say to the twins.

But she just smiled when Keith wiggled in his arms. "You knew my daddy when he was a baby? Do you know wheyuh he is now? He's lost, and we'yuh twyna find him."

Lucas looked at Peyton again, not sure what her smile meant, and trying to take his cue from her.

"Mr. Lucas does know where to find your daddy, Yoda. Peanut. Matter of fact, he has something he wants to tell you."

Shooting Peyton a look of gratitude and setting Keith on the couch, Lucas knelt down in front of him as Brooke slid Anna down next to her brother.

He laid a hand on each of their knees as his gaze moved from one eager face to the other.

"What I know is, your daddy loves you two very much, and he is very happy that he'd finally found you." Lucas said, eyes glistening as he stared into blue ones just like his own.

"How do you know, Mistew Lucas? Keith said.

"Because…I'm your daddy." Lucas said, smiling uncertainly at the twins as they glanced at each other.

Anna frowned at his revelation, then jumped off the couch. Keith's gaze followed hers, avoiding Lucas' in spite of his dramatic proclamation. The adults sat, puzzled as they waited to see what the twin's reaction would be, ready to step in once they were sure what exactly was going on.

As the silence continued, Lucas' heart broke just a little. It was too soon. They weren't ready to hear the news. They were mad at him because he was gone for so long. They were hoping for someone else.

Lucas watched as Keith slid off the couch and followed his sister to where they whispered over the baby book, which had fallen open to the first page, where Peyton and Lucas smiled up at them as Bonnie and Clyde. The twins would whisper, glance at Lucas, then whisper again. Brooke looked in curiosity at Peyton, who shrugged her shoulders. They were her children, but when they were together, it was she who was the odd man out, especially with their connection. They would come to her if they needed her, of that she was positive. Of anything else, she would have to wait and see.

Anna marched over to Lucas and stood in front of him, Keith next to her. "If you're our daddy, then how come your name isn't Clyde Scoyer like our daddy's name?"

"Cause your mama had the wrong name by accident. My name is Lucas Scott and I'm your daddy. Clyde Scoyer was a name I used when your mom and I were playing pretend." Lucas answered honestly, in a way he hoped was understandable to a 3 year old.

Anna frowned as she processed this in her head. Coming to a decision as she glanced at Keith, she glared at Lucas. "You aren't supposed to play pretend for so long. Momma couldn't find you, and we missed you! And for that, you have to take a time out, just like when we hide for too long and momma can't find us!"

"I already gave him a time out, Peanut." Peyton said, coming to Lucas' rescue, who was confused.

"Oh." Anna said, stumped, but not for long. "Okay, good. So now, you say you're sorry." Anna waited expectantly, hands on her hips.

"Uh, I'm sorry." Lucas said, still confused.

"For...," Anna raised her bow.

Catching on, having witnessed Jamie in a timeout or two over the years, Lucas said obediently. "I am sorry for being gone so long since your mother couldn't find me because I was pretending. It won't happen again. I promise."

"It better not, Mister Scott!" Anna said sternly, shaking her finger at Lucas. She paused as Keith leaned over and whispered in her ear. At his words, she grinned. "You're right, Brother!"

She waggled her finger at Lucas again. "It better not, Daddy!" She threw her arms open and Keith did the same. "Now, give us a hug and kiss, and your timeout is over."

Brooke covered her mouth, Peyton smiled through her tears, and Lucas bowed his head, all in reaction to the twins response to his revelation. Composing himself, Lucas stayed kneeling as he came forward, pulling the twins gently in his arms, more strength needed to keep himself from pulling them tightly to him and never letting go. He was a 'daddy.' He was a father. He was holding his children in his arms. He knew theoretically this moment would come, but he hadn't in his wildest dreams believed that it would be so simple. An 'I'm sorry', a hug and a kiss, and all was forgiven.

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Knock. Knock. knock.

Lindsay opened her door eagerly. "Lucas, I was hoping you would come back so we could… Brooke!" Lindsay laughed nervously. "I thought you were Lucas! What are you doing here?"

"I was coming over here to drop kick your sorry ass." Brooke said, standing at the door. "Blocking Peyton a year ago from making contact with Lucas, and again yesterday, that was a real shitty thing to do. Heartless and cruel, not just to Lucas, but to me and the rest of Peyton's family." Brooke advanced on Lindsay, backing her up into the room.

"You…you hit me and I'm pressing charges." Lindsay stuttered, continuing to back away from Brooke.

Brooke smiled. "You see? That's exactly why I didn't bitch-slap the taste out of your mouth when you opened the door. Because you are the type to call the police instead of taking the beat down you deserve. But that's okay. Because what's going to happen to you will be even better. You get to watch Lucas never give you another thought in his mind. You get to see him get to know his kids, and build a life with Peyton that doesn't include you."

Brooke laughed. "It's strange. I've got so much happiness right now, I can't even muster up the energy to be angry at you, because I feel sorry for you. My future has never looked better, and yours couldn't get any worse. I think that's enough for me."

Brooke walked towards the door, then turned back to Lindsay. "Oh, and my niece told me about your little interaction with her. You better hope she doesn't run into any more 'mean ladies' or the beat down can be taken off the reserve list."

"Stay away from Lucas, from Peyton, from anyone else in this family, or you will see me again, and then you'll be having a conversation with my manolo's." Brooke closed the door firmly behind her. She wasn't going to waste her energy on Lindsay, for no amount of physical pain she could inflict would hurt worse than seeing the one Lindsay loved find happiness without her. Brooke was on top of the world right now, and if she let Lindsay drag her down to her level of vindictiveness, she would win. And Brooke wasn't about to let that happen.

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I was going to have Brooke slap her- but I am too realistic. In real life, Lindsay presses charges and Brooke does time. And since I don't want to write Brooke in jail, she became the bigger woman. Sigh.

Dun dun dun! Larry's missing! Is he dead? Alive? If Lucas reaches him and he's alive, will he believe that it is Peyton?

What'd you think about the chapter? It was a hard one to write.

Hey guys! I need your help again! :) Peyton will get parts of her memory back, but I messed up so now I have to figure out what I can use to trigger her memory. I was going to use her sketches, but she already has seen some pretty significant ones without a memory jog, so if you guys have some suggestions- Im open to ideas. :)