There are moments as a friend. There are moments as a family member. These moments occur when someone is trying so hard to push you away for the wrong reasons, when they are really screaming inside for you to help them. As Peyton stood in the bathroom, she realized that what just happened was one of those moments, and she didn't care about the ramifications, and she didn't care about getting yelled at again, but she was going to make sure that Haley was okay.

She walked quickly out of the bathroom to try and catch a glimpse of her former friend and new, at least to her, sister-in-law, and caught her getting into the elevator. Thankfully she had boarded alone, and with a small pause, Peyton was able to glance up and see just what floor her friend was going to.

As she stepped out onto the floor, she noticed a change in the patients she had encountered before. The eyes were without luster in most, and it seemed like a novel of unspoken words clung in the air. It was the Oncology floor. Suddenly, she had to steady herself against the reception counter as she recalled Haley's tired, disheveled appearance that was so unlike her, and everything seemed to snap into place.

Cancer.

A word that Peyton was too familiar with, and a word that she herself had feared pretty recently. Thoughts of finding Ellie flooded her mind, and tears clouded her vision when a small voice cut through the noise of her mind.

"Excuse me miss, can I help you?", the nurse asked, with a look of concern probably brought on by the fact that she had just witnessed a very obviously pregnant woman clutch the counter as her face went white.

Then it was the moment of truth, a decision to be made. Should she go comfort her friend, or should she wait until her friend came to her for the help that she wanted to give?

"I saw Haley Scott come up here, but lost her after the elevator."

The nurse gave her a look of sadness mixed with confusion, most likely because she had never laid eyes on the woman before her.

"I'm her sister-in-law..."

"Oh, I see! She went down to the room. We had to move things around, so its 412 now, and not the usual place."

"Oh, okay, thank you..." she says, letting a small amount of concern wash over her as she realized that there was obviously a lot of time spent in this hospital.

Walking down the hallway, she noticed a shift in the mood. It seemed cheerier, with brighter walls and more people roaming about. Maybe this was a good sign... maybe Haley was actually doing better than she thought if they moved her down here.

However when she glanced through the window, what she saw caused a rise in emotion that she had never experienced before. She turned around, needing to lean up against something as the tears instantly came to her eyes. As she clenched her eyes shut to get rid of the queasiness she was feeling a hand rose to her shoulder and she opened her eyes to a familiar face.

"You can't tell Lucas... Haley doesn't want him to know..."

All she could do was sob. Sharp, hiccupping sobs racked through her body as she clung to him. They were sobs of guilt, of heartache for the moments that they missed when they selfishly left the year before.

"I'm sorry... If we would have just answered one... God... I'm so sorry... We didn't know... Oh God..."

"It's okay. It's going to be okay."

"Is it?" she asks, asking a question not about the relationships broken, but about the outcome of what was in that hospital room.

"No... probably not..."

"Nathan."

"Peyton, how did you even know that we were here?"

"I saw Haley in the lobby when I came for my doctor's appointment" she says, glancing at her watch, "which I am now extremely late for."

"Go then."

"Nathan, I don't want to leave you here."

"Peyton, this is a well organized dance that we have done for the last 6 months. We're pros at it."

"But you shouldn't have to go through this alone..."

"...and when my wife comes to her senses and talks to your husband, we won't be. Besides, Brooke has been a big help through everything..."

"What if it's too late?"

"There are other things going on here Peyton, things that I can't share. Haley is going to need a lot of space. Especially from you."

"She blames me."

"For Lucas?" he asks, and she nods in response. "No she doesn't. She blames Lucas for Lucas."

"Why is she so angry with me right now if she doesn't blame me?"

"You guys got everything you wanted, and we're watching everything we wanted get slowly taken away from us piece by piece."

"Nathan..."

"You have to get down to your appointment, or you are going to get your butt kicked, and my little nephew or niece is going to come out with two heads...Go."

"Why are you the only one who isn't screaming at us?"

"Don't get me wrong Peyton, I hate what happened here. I also understand the desperation of what the two of you did, leaving like that. I'm past being angry, because my energy needs to be somewhere else right now." he says with a finality that elicits just a nod from her before she turned back down the hallway.

Hours later, after not hearing from his wife, a concerned Lucas opened up his phone to call her.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. Why didn't you call me after the appointment?"

"I wasn't really feeling up to talking right then, so I decided to come home and veg for a little bit. Are you on your way home?"

"Peyton, what happened? You don't sound like today was the best day for you."

"Nothing. Everything was fine."

"...and what are you not telling me?"

"Luke, I promise you that everything is fine. The doctor said that the move caused a bit of stress, and he told me that I need to get more sleep, and that should keep everything calm for a while."

"I know that we came back here for the baby, but if all this drama--"

"We are NOT leaving again. We can't do that to them. They need us." she says, adamant about staying where they said they would.

"Peyton, it's not like they miss us or anything. Haley still won't talk to me, and based on the reaction I got from you last night, Brooke won't be dropping by to hang out any time soon. Nathan seems to just tolerate me, and is always focused on something else when we are together, and what kills me is Jamie. They won't even bring him by to see us, and I don't know if he hates me or not. We could pack up and leave tomorrow and they wouldn't even know we're gone."

"Luke, we need them. You need them. And whether or not they want to admit it, they need us too, which is why we have to stay."

"You're right..."

"Aren't I always?" she says, laughing a bit into the receiver.

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby... now get on the next train and come home."

"I will probably be back by 10, but don't wait up for me."

"Okay, dad..."

"Hey, doctor's orders, right."

"Sure.... oh... you know what there's a knock at the door. Chances are it is Brooke coming back to scream at me again. I'll see you when you get home?"

"I'll see you tomorrow morning...."

"Lucas..."

"Peyton..."

"Fine... tomorrow morning... I love you."

Repeating the words back to her, he shut off his phone, with a small hint of worry knit in his brow. She had said everything was okay, but he could tell in her voice that there was something wrong. He hoped to God that it didn't lead to another terrifying moment.

–

While They Were Away

–

Nine months had flown by for the Newlyweds, and they couldn't be happier where they were. The only thing missing was the family that they had left behind, but neither brought up that subject, for fear of starting another fight with the other.

It had become a sour subject, thinking about going home. When one wanted to, the other seemed to think that it was a horrible idea. When the other decided that it was indeed time to share their news with friends, the time they had spent away was brought up and the subject was dropped. They never agreed on their positions about when or if they should ever get back to Tree Hill.

Peyton had been absolutely glowing all evening, after having finally gotten over the morning sickness of her first few months of pregnancy. She was happy, she was excited, and Luke couldn't be happier knowing that he had a part in all of it.

When they got home that evening, she had been incredibly tired, saying that she couldn't shake a funny feeling that she had. She took it as the nausea not being totally out of her system and chose to change into her pajamas and get into bed for the evening.

As Luke came into the room, he caught a glimpse of her sleeping form, peaceful and beautiful, and growing more and more beautiful every day. He changed out of his clothes and decided to settle in with a book before going to sleep.

Realizing that he had left the book that he was currently reading in the living room or their small apartment, he got back out of bed in search of it when he heard her.

It was a faint cry of his name that struck him in a bad way, so he quickly made his way back into the bedroom to see her sitting straight up in bed clutching her chest and gasping for air.

"Luke...can't...call...."

"Peyton! God!" he says running to her and trying to figure out what the problem was.

"Ambulance..."

He reached over her to grab his phone and continued to stroke Peyton's hair as she was still trying to catch her breath. The operator was talking to him, but he couldn't focus on the words she was saying, not wanting his eyes to stray from his wife, still trying to calm her.

When the knock came to let the paramedics in, he ran.

"It's my wife. She's gasping for air, and she can't talk to me right now."

As they tried to get a response from Peyton, they tried to ask Lucas more and more questions, that he wasn't even comprehending. It was all happening too fast, and he couldn't wrap his head around it.

"She's pregnant. 14 weeks today. She said that she was really tired when we got home tonight, and said that she had a funny feeling, but we thought that it was just the morning sickness coming back."

They tried to calm him down while strapping the small blond to the stretcher in front of him. It was then that her slipped shut and they couldn't get a response anymore. It was then that his world seemed to be collapsing around him.

–

Present Day

–

After hanging up with Lucas, she made her way to the door expecting to see Brooke, but surprised to find Haley standing on her front step.

"I don't want Lucas to know yet." she says, with her eyes downcast.

"Nathan told me that, and I really think you need to talk to Luke, Haley. He has a right to know."

"The right to know went away over a year ago, Peyton."

"We're still family... and we want to be there for you."

A thick, uncomfortable silence seemed to settle in the area around the door. Haley couldn't meet her eyes, but seemed enthralled by the rings Peyton toyed with around her finger and the stomach protruding out from her tiny frame.

"Which is why I'm talking to you."

"You can't even look me in the eye Haley."

As Haley took in the words, she lifted her face with tears forming in her eyes, "because it hurts too much."

"I know..."

"No... you have everything now."

"Don't give up—"

"You can come down to the hospital if you want."

"Haley, it's not my place, it's Luke's."

"Of course it's your place... you're his Aunt."

–

Okay, so there you have it.... were you expecting it? I think that some of you were, which I'm okay with, because I'm okay with being predictable sometimes. Anyways, I hope that you are enjoying this, and I would love to hear your feedback. What do you want to know about? What was your favorite part?

Anyways, review review review, because I really do enjoy reading what others have to write about the story. And... go to southerngothicproductions .blogspot .com and get your Southern Gothic T-shirt to support our favorite Peyton actress, Hilarie Burton!