I know this is a bit late, but my computer froze this weekend, and I had to write the chapter by hand, and then copy it onto the computer. So to make up for the abnormally long wait between chapters, this one is very long. Very, very long. As you know, B won, so here were are, finally in Tree Hill.
Forgive the typos. This chapter was hard to get out, and its time for bed, so I didnt proof read it like I normally do. Sorry. If you catch something, tell me, and Ill go back and change it.
Love, Me.
Ollixanna- a scene in this chapter is just for you, because you asked for it.
Same goes for you, Sheena, since you keep giving me (and the rest of the fanfic readers) so much love and joy.
As you know, "" "" means I didn't make it up, but the producers of OTH did. Im just borrowing it because why mess with perfection?
But of course I did. The 'roast' was changed to an 'apple pie', because I like apple pies better.
Enjoy!
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Chapter 12 Tree Hill
Making the decision to visit Tree Hill, the next couple of days were spent getting ready to leave Honey Grove for an extended period of time. Peyton decided on being gone for at least two weeks, leaving her return open-ended- not sure of what she would find in Tree Hill, but optimistic that it would be promising. Molly agreed to man the store while she was gone, and Delores began to silently weep when Peyton and twins came to say goodbye.
"Why are you crying, D.? Its just 2 weeks!" Peyton said, pulling her close again at the sight of her tears.
But Delores just smiled and wiped her eyes, patting Peyton on the back and hugging the twins close. She had a feeling, but feelings weren't always reality, so she allowed Peyton to reassure her they'd be back before she knew it.
Lucas and the twins had been inseparable during the week he was in Honey Grove, and the feeling of sorrow was mutual when the time came for Lucas to go to Charleston for his final book signing. To limit the amount of time he spent away from Peyton and the twins, it was agreed that Peyton would fly to Tree Hill around the time he flew to Charleston. They would both arrive at their destinations at night, and Lucas would be back in Tree Hill the next evening, leaving the book signing right at four and being home in time for a reunion dinner at Nathan and Haley's house.
There was just one problem with the plan. Having overcome her fear of flying years ago, Brooke had forgotten what it was like for her the first time she had to get back aboard a plane after the crash. She was painfully reminded when, upon arrival at the airport gate, Peyton was struck by a paralyzing fear of boarding the plane.
"Just give me a minute, it'll go away," she reassured, the tears that leaked from her eyes and her rapid breathing telling another story. The problem was quickly solved by a succession of phone calls, and Brooke's assurance that she could conquer her fear of flying, just not today. Today, driving would work just as well as flying, and because she was with Brooke Davis, they would be riding in style.
The limo ride was uneventful, since Brooke paid extra for another driver to make the 20 hour trip nonstop to Tree Hill. They spent the time watching Disney movies to keep the kids entertained, taking the moments the children were occupied to catch up with each others lives. While okay with sharing stories from their past, when asked about the last 4 years, Brooke would deflect the attention from her and bring it back to Peyton or the kids.
Finally, when Peyton pursued the issue past the deflection, Brooke proceeded to regale everyone with stores about their childhood together, from the creation of Brookie's to their annual thieving escapades on Brooke's birthday. By the time they pulled into Tree Hill, Peyton and Brooke had unconsciously fallen back into their old rhythm of being, as if they had never been separated. Peyton didn't recognize it, but there was a new life in Brooke, and a light that had been missing for 4 years, sparking and growing into a brilliant flame.
They arrived in Tree Hill just as dawn began to break. Exhausted from the non stop car ride, Everyone piled into the hotel penthouse suite Brooke had reserved ahead of time and dropped bags where they lay, as one by one, beds were claimed and sleep took over.
Peyton awoke first, more so because the sensation of movement on the bed than receiving sufficient rest. "Brooke?" she mumbled, taking in the smiling brunette that had sat on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room, noting that in the double bed next to hers, the twins slept on.
"Oh good, you're awake! Now get up and come with me." Brooke said, sweeping out of the room.
Rubbing her eyes, Peyton made her way out into the living area of the suite, where Brooke was waiting.
"Do you think the twins will be okay here with Tonya? I mean, they won't freak out or anything if you aren't here when they wake up? Because we can totally wait until they wake up. I mean, its okay with me…."
"Brooke," Peyton interrupted the stream of consciousness that flowed from Brooke in her excitement. "Where are we going exactly? And how long will we be gone? The twins can stay with Tonya until we get back, if we won't be gone too long."
"I know Broody wanted to show you Tree Hill, and I'm okay with that, but I promise you, this has nothing to do with any of that. And it shouldn't take too long. I'd tell you more, but it's a surprise."
"Broody?" Peyton asked, puzzled.
Brooke looked at her, confused, then smacked her forehead as she remembered. "Lucas."
"Oh." Shrugging, Peyton capitulated and followed Brooke out to the car. Brooke didn't bother with a blindfold since Peyton had no memory of the town anyway, and shortly they pulled up to a beautiful two story house.
Pulling Peyton along like a kid in a candy story, they entered the fully furnished house.
""Surprise!"" Brooke said excitedly.
""You rented a house?!"" Peyton said, wide-eyed.
""Well, not exactly."" Brooke said sheepishly.
""Brooke, you did not buy this house! What were you thinking?"" Peyton said, making her way around the living room, skimming her hands along the granite countertops.
""What you don't like it?" Brooke said, disappointed.
""No, it's incredible!"" Peyton reassured. "It's just too much! We're only going to be here for 2 weeks. We could have stayed in a hotel!"
Brooke waved away her concerns, leading her up the stairs to the outdoor balcony. "If it makes you feel better, I would have bought a house down here anyway, and this balcony just screamed my name! Can't you see us having breakfast out here, taking in the view?" Brooke said, leaning against the white railing. "Besides, it' about time I spent more time here, visiting my friends and my godchild, and I am not a fan of hotels anyway. Plus, if I create a couple of sketches at the kitchen table, I could probably write it off as office space. No worries." Brooke said casually.
"Well, if you were going to buy the house anyway, who am I to change your mind?" Peyton said as they made their way back to the hallway leading to the stairs.
""Good, 'cause that's your room."" Brooke said, pointing to the huge Jack and Jill suite that sat across from the master bedroom.
Laughing, Brooke accepted and reciprocated the hug that Peyton came at her with as she allowed herself to become excited at their new living quarters.
"Oh, and the last owner left us an apple pie, so we can have that for dessert at Naley's." Brooke added as they traipsed down the stairs and out to the rental car that Brooke picked up while everyone was asleep. If it hadn't been for the times she spend the night at her house, Peyton would have sworn Brooke never slept, and her energy seemed endless.
"Naley's?" Peyton asked, confused. "Are we going to a restaurant instead of Luke's brother's house?"
Brooke frowned, puzzled, before she remembered that Peyton didn't. Remember, that is. "Oh, no. Naley is just Nathan and Haley put together. 'Cause they are a couple. You know, like you and Lucas are Leyton?"
"Oh, we're not a couple." Peyton said, embarrassed. "He's dating someone, at least he was according to his publisher."
Brooke shot her a look. "Well, he's not dating anyone right now but you. You might not officially be a couple now, but that's not going to last too much longer, if I know the two of you." She placed a hand on Peyton's shoulder. "Though I should probably ask first, are you okay with the thought of being with Lucas? That is, you aren't…you aren't seeing anyone right now are you?"
"No." Peyton shook her head, then chuckled. "I spent the past two years thinking I was married, and the years before that pregnant and raising kids. There is no one else. I wouldn't mind being 'Leyton'," Peyton smiled at Brooke as she used the strange terminology, "But Im not sure he is interested. After all, it has been 4 years, and he had moved on. Even if he's not with someone now, it doesn't mean he wants to be with me."
"Oh I don't think you have anything to worry about on that front." Brooke said as they made their way back to the hotel.
"Well, he hasn't given me any indication that he's interested in me in any way other than being the mother of his kids." Peyton confessed.
Brooke chuckled. "Broody has always been a slow mover. And, in all fairness to him, he's probably taking his cues from you, waiting to see if you would be interested in him as a man, and not just the father of your children and the key to unlocking your memory. And, speaking of unlocking your memory and proving Lucas is totally still in love with you, I think it's time I introduced you to a little book I like to call the story of your life, Lucas style."
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"Wow" Tonya said, gently closing the book she just spent the last couple of hours reading.
"That pretty much sums it up for me too." Peyton agreed, as she too, finished the last line of the chapter. "I mean, if Brooke and Lucas hadn't told me I was the Peyton in this book, I would never have believed that all these things happened to me."
"How are you feeling? I mean, are you okay?" Tonya asked cautiously.
"You mean, am I okay after finding out I had two dead moms, an absentee dad, a psycho stalker, a lesbian encounter, a drug habit, suicidal tendencies, and several near death experiences all before I turned 18?" Peyton said ruefully. "No wonder they didn't want me looking myself up on the internet before I came here."
"You sound like you're okay." Tonya said, moving to sit next to her.
Peyton thought for a moment. "I am, surprisingly. I mean, intellectually, I know this all happened to me, because I am her, but since I have no memory of it, none of the emotions are there. I mean, it sucks I lost two moms, but I have no memory of them, so how can I feel the pain of loss when I never had it to begin with? It's like it's all removed, because to me, since I don't remember, its just a story. My story, true, but…not. Does that make sense?"
"I guess I can understand that." Tonya said, thinking on it. "I'm in awe of you and Brooke's friendship. I mean, to see how much she loves you now, you would never guess you stole her boyfriend twice in high school."
"Or that she slept with mine, and we ended high school still best friends." Peyton shook her head. "Man, the drama in our lives reads more like a soap opera than real life. But then again, you would say the same thing about a woman coming back from the dead 4 years later with twins, her only link to the past being a picture with fake names taken during a road trip to rescue a friend from jail."
Tonya chuckled.
"It's funny. We were with them an entire week, and I never would've guessed they had such a turbulent romantic history." Peyton mused. "In fact, Brooke told me before she locked us in here and made us read the book that Lucas and I should get back together."
"I definitely agree with Brooke," Tonya said. "After all, ""The guy wrote a whole book about how much he loves you."" She said cheekily.
Turning to the page, she began to quote, ""And what remained in the bizarre, muffled silence was only Peyton. The girl whose art and passion and beauty changed my life. And in that moment, my triumph was not a state championship, but simple clarity. The realization that we had always been meant for each other, and every instinct to the contrary had simply been a denial of the following truth: I was now, and would always be, in love with Peyton Sawyer.""
"Whew!" Tonya said as she closed the book. "I don't think a love like that just up and disappears. It seems to me that the question is not is he still in love with you, but are you still in love with him?"
"For years I was in love with a man I could only love through what I could see in my children, because I thought he was my husband. And now that he's real, I've been trying to separate out what is real, and what was a figment of my made up image of him. I know next to nothing about Lucas Scott the man." Peyton admitted slowly.
"But…" her eyes unfocused as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "When I look at him, I feel almost giddy inside, and I have to fight the urge to touch him, to run my fingers through his hair, or play with the buttons on his shirt, or pull him into a kiss that I have a feeling wont stop there. And when he touches me, my skin tingles and warms, and I don't ever want him to stop."
She brought her attention back to Tonya. "I might not have any past memories of Lucas, but I am definitely not opposed to making future memories with him, if he makes a move."
"So he has to make a move first?" Tonya said.
"I've been gone four years. Just because I've been waiting to get back with my 'husband,' doesn't mean he's been waiting to get back with his 'girlfriend'. I have no idea if he even wants to be with me now, no matter how much he loved me in high school. Think about it. Molly was passionately in love with her boyfriend in high school, and where are they now?" Peyton said patiently.
"Not together," Tonya admitted reluctantly.
"That's right. Not together." Peyton said. "And you know better than anyone that having a kid with your high school sweetheart is no guarantee for forever, no matter how much they say they love you."
"So we'll see what happens, then." Tonya said, moving on, the conversation hitting a little too close to home.
"Yes," Peyton said, having made her point. "We'll see what happens."
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"Aunt Brooke, you are the best Aunt Brooke in the whole world!" Anna said as they strolled the boardwalk, munching on ice cream cones.
Keith nodded in agreement, dripping chocolate ice cream down his shirt as his hand wiggled when he shook his head.
"And why is that, Miss Anna Brooke Sco- yer?" Brooke said, tapping Anna on the nose. "Is it because I took you and your brother to the store and let you pick the design for your new room?"
"Nope." said Anna, giggling as she licked her bubblegum cone, a flavor she picked because it was baby blue, her favorite color.
"Is it because we went to the toy store and picked up lots of toys for your room?"
"Nope, but thank you fowuh all the toys!" Keith chimed in, remembering his manners.
"Is it because I brought you ice cream before dinner?" Brooke said, now confused. Having never spent time around children, she was at a loss as to what she had done to warrant such high praise.
"No, silly!" Anna said. "It's 'cause you treat us and my mommy real good! She got to spend time with Aunt Tonya…"
"And we got to have lots of fun spendin' time with you." Keith finished for her, as if they had rehearsed the line earlier.
"Plus you give good hugs." Anna added. "That's what Aunts do." Finishing her cone, she wiped her hands on her shorts and grabbed Brooke's free hand. "Did you have practice being an Aunt before us, Aunt Brooke?"
Brooke looked down at Anna, and smiled sadly. "No, I didn't, love. I haven't spent a lot of time with kids your age, though I do have a nephew who's a little older than you two. You'll meet him tonight." Brooke sighed. "I'm afraid I haven't been a very good Aunt to him."
"Oh." Anna said, frowning. "Was he missing too?"
Brooke chuckled. "No he wasn't funny bunny, but I was lost for a little while."
"Well, you're not lost anymore, so now you can be a good Aunt to him!" Anna said, pleased to have solved the problem.
"You can pwactice on us. We don't mind. You'wah doin' good so faw." Keith said, finishing his ice cream and patting Brooke on her back. Well, the part he could reach.
"Yes, good job Aunt Brooke!" Anna said encouraging. "You know what else? Good Aunt's don't tell mommies about ice cream before dinner…"
Brooke nodded solemnly. "I won't say a word." She promised, smiling as the twins beamed. They had no idea that their faces and clothes would tell the story of their pre-dinner meal. But Brooke wasn't worried. She could always deflect the attention from the twins- once Peyton found out what she did to their new rooms and how many toys and clothese she just bought, ice cream before dinner would be the last thing on her mind.
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"So is just gonna be Nathan and Haley and Jamie tonight, and we'll have dinner with Karen and Lily tomorrow, so hopefully you wont feel too overwhelmed by all the new faces." Brooke said as they pulled up into Naley's driveway.
She put the car in park and looked over at Peyton. "You ready?"
Peyton smiled and nodded. "Yes, surprisingly. I am ready, and a little excited, too."
"I'm excited momma!" Anna piped up in the back seat. "So is Yoda!"
Keith nodded so hard he bounced in his seat.
"Im glad you're excited baby, but remember, good behavior. Stay quiet until I introduce you." Peyton said, knowing Anna's penchant for taking control of a conversation.
They exited the car and made the short walk to the front door, where Brooke rang the bell and waited. While she had been in touch with Haley over the past four years, this was the first time she had been back since high school, and it was sort of a reunion for her too. And to be honest, she was a little nervous. Peyton had an excuse for being gone so long, but how would they react to her reappearance? She couldn't pull an amnesia card.
She was spared from worrying about it further as the door was pulled open and Haley exclaimed, "Brooke!" pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "Lucas told me you were coming with Peyton, but I didn't believe him. I can't believe you're here with…" She pulled away, tears coming unexpectantly as she caught sight of her other best friend for the first time in 4 years.
"Peyton." She breathed, allowing the tears to fall unchecked down her face as she drank in the face she thought she'd never see again, recognizing the similarities, but taking note of the differences time had etched on her frame that would have gone unnoticed had they been together during that time. "Nathan!" She shouted, walking slowly to the woman standing in the doorway, and hesitantly gathering her in a hug, grateful when arms reached around and hugged her back.
"Haley! What is it?" Nathan had rushed through the house, worried when his wife called out to him, the pain in her voice making him think something was wrong. He skidded to a halt at the vision he thought he'd never see, and doubted until this very moment was real.
Turning his back on the sight at the door, he walked away, through the kitchen and out the back door.
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Haley held onto Peyton for a long time, breathing in the familiar scent of vanilla and spice, surprised that after all these years, she still used the same scented shampoo and lotion. She forced herself to let go and smile at the woman who was smiling back at her, putting her at ease for what she was sure was an unexpected display of emotion.
"I guess you can see I'm glad to see you." Haley said, trying to make light of a heavy situation.
"I had the feeling." Peyton said, agreeing. To put her at ease, Peyton attempted a joke of her own. "Don't worry, you weren't as bad as Brooke. She cried so hard on me, I had to change my shirt when we first met."
"Momma, It's not nice to tell on people." Anna said, forgeting her instructions not to interrupt and pulling on Peyton's pants leg.
Haley gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. "I am going to kill him!" she muttered, tears beginning again at the sight of the miniature Peyton that had stepped from behind Peyton's legs, staring up at Peyton with Lucas' eyes.
"Kill who?" Keith said inquisitively, bringing Haley's gaze to a carbon copy of her son.
"Just your Uncle Lucas, Jamie, nothing to worry about." She said, patting him on the head and pulling him in for a hug, surprised when he pulled away.
"You can't kill my daddy, I just got him!" Keith said in horror, running over to Peyton and grabbing her legs as he burst into tears.
"Wha-?" Haley said, confused at the sight of her son hugging Peyton's legs as she patted him on the back and the mini-Peyton did the same.
Brooke sidled over to Haley, whispering, "I take it he didn't tell you on the phone."
"Tell me that he was a dad?!? No, I think I would have remembered that little piece of knowledge!" Haley said, half angry at him, half happy for him. Luke was a father!
"And that's not Jamie." Brooke said, interrupted by a voice coming down the stairs.
"Who's not Jamie? I am Jamie."
Haley turned, doing a double take as she saw her son on the stairs, when only minutes before she had just seen him hugging Peytons legs. "Wait, how?"
"Haley." Peyton called out, saying it again a little more forcefully as Haley could not stop herself from looking back and forth from Keith to Jamie. "Haley!" Everyone stopped, Brooke and Haley turning to look at Peyton, whose voice had transported them back 4 years ago to another time she had tried to get their attention. If they had any doubts left, they were definitely erased by that sound.
"I think I can clear it up for you, seeing as how I did the same thing when I saw Jamie's picture." Patting Keith's back, she smiled a little. "Haley, this is Keith, and this is Anna. These are my kids. Well, mine and Lucas'. I believe that," pointing to the little boy who had made his way to the bottom of the stairs, "is Jamie, your son. Hi Jamie, nice to meet you."
"Twins?" Haley said softly.
Brooke hugged her to her side. "I definitely think you have the right to kill Lucas when he gets here. I can't believe he didn't tell you!" Brooke whispered, not wanting to set Keith off again at the mention of anyone killing his daddy.
Luckily Peyton was now trying to explain that Aunt Haley really wasn't gonna kill Daddy, because she was his sister, and just like when he got mad at Anna for breaking his 'Tickle Me Elmo' by putting it in the water so it could 'play,' Aunt Haley was mad at her brother for something he had done, and wasn't really going to hurt him.
"Well, to be fair, it wasn't his fault. Nathan didn't believe him when he called and said he found Peyton, and told Lucas to stop chasing ghosts, then hung up on him. He didn't try to call again- he just sent me an email saying you guys would be coming tonight for dinner, and he would meet you here." Haley said, gesturing to Jamie to come down the stairs and stand by her. By now, Peyton had calmed Keith down enough to join the conversation.
"Hey Jamie, come here. I want to introduce you to your cousins. James Lucas Scott, this is Keith, and Anna."
"He has Keith's middle name too, Momma!" Anna said, amazed. "Is everybody named after daddy?"
Everyone chuckled except the kids, who didn't see anything funny about the statement. "Who's your daddy?" Jamie asked, puzzled.
"Lucas Scott. Who's youwah daddy?" Keith asked.
"My daddy is Nathan Scott. He plays basketball for the Bobcats. He's Uncle Lucas' brother."
"Hey my daddy is your uncle! That means we're cousins! Cool!" Anna said, glossing over the basketball reference.
"I've already got a cousin, but I guess she's yours too, since your mine. I get to tell her I met you guys first. If I show you my room and let you play with my toys, will you like me better?" Jamie asked.
Anna shook her head. "Momma says we got to love family the same. But we can like you first."
Jamie grinned, "Okay!" Pausing, he asked one more question. "How old are you guys?"
"3, but we're almost 4." Anna said.
"In Januawy." Keith added, content to let Anna be the spokesperson.
"Alright!" Jamie said, not realizing that January was half a year away still. Having just turned 4 himself, he was familiar with the almost part. "I'm a big cousin, now too! Thanks you guys! Wait til I tell Lily she's not the only big cousin anymore!"
"No pwoblem." Keith said, happy to have another male in the family.
"Momma, can we go to my room and play before dinner?" Jamie asked.
Haley shook herself out of her trance, still in a daze from watching her son interact with her best friends children. A shy child with strangers, you wouldn't know it to see him talk to his cousins. She smiled softly at him before glancing at Peyton. "Do you mind?" She asked quickly, not wanting to step on any toes.
"No, not at all." Peyton said, waving them away as Haley herded them up the stairs to Jamie's room, chuckling as she heard Anna chattering away. "So, if you are Jamie's mom, and daddy's sister, then that means you're our Aunt, so can we call you Aunt Haley?"
"Peyton, you're kids are one of a kind." Brooke said, shaking her head. "Now, where did Nate go? I heard his voice earlier."
"When he saw me, he ran out through that door." Peyton said, pointing to the French doors leading out to the back. "I don't think he believes that I am the real Peyton."
"Nathan didn't believe you were dead for a long time. But after a while, he came to accept it. And it really made him angry, all the fake Peyton's that would come and claim to be you, when in reality, they just wanted to be with Luke. So trust me when I say, when he realizes it's really you, he'll come around. You guys were close in high school. Friends almost like Lucas and Haley were."
"Almost?" Peyton said jokingly.
"Almost. No one is as close as Laley. And trust me, if it wasn't them, I would swear there was something going on." Brooke patted her on the back. "Now, I am going to find the wine. You coming?"
"No, I think I'm going to talk to Nathan. If he's gonna fight the fact that I'm Peyton, I want to get it over with before dinner, just in case it gets ugly."
"Do you want me to come with you? I can do the scar thing like I did for Tonya." Tonya had opted to stay at the hotel for the night, wanting Peyton to have a chance to reunite with her family without having to worry about entertaining her, and also making sure Peyton couldn't use her to hide behind.
"I appreciate the offer, but Nathan probably won't be the first skeptic Ill have to deal with now that I'm back." Peyton said determinedly. "If I need you, I know where to find you."
"Just follow the wine." Brooke said, smiling.
Peyton smiled back, before turning towards the double doors and wiping the smile from her face. It was time to face Nathan Scott, and something told her, it wouldn't be pretty.
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Okay! So Sheena, half of what you wanted, the other half on its way. So can I get a oneshot sequel to 'Is there something I can send you?' Lol. I am totally jk! Not about wanting the one shot, but about holding the chapter off until I get it. You will totally have your NP scene next chapter.
So guys! How do you think the NP scene is going to happen?
How was the chapter? Too fast, too slow?
How many of you guys want Peyton's memories to come back?
NEW POLL! This one will go until I write, and the one with the most tallys wins, since I cant accurately guess how many people are going to review.
Who will be the one to make the first romantic move?
A- Lucas?
B- Peyton? Or
C. Brooke.
Hahaha, I know some of your hearts stopped. Sorry about that. I'm evil.
What I mean by Brooke is that neither will make a move and Brooke will have to do what she did for Naley for these two stubborn lovebirds.
Let me know!