The brunette regarded Peyton carefully, and Peyton could tell that she had sobered up since she had last seen her. It didn't seem like she was going to speak though, so Peyton decided she would be the one to break the silence. "What are you doing here, Brooke? Come here to yell at me some more?" she asked, trying to keep emotion out of her voice.
As she regarded her once best friend, Brooke tried to get it through her mind that Peyton was pregnant, with Lucas's baby. She still hadn't been able to accept that exactly, even though she'd sobered up with coffee and some sleep. She knew at the same time that the situation was perfect, and that Peyton and Lucas would probably be the best parents this kid could ask for.
Realizing that she still hadn't said anything, Brooke just shrugged. "I honestly couldn't tell you, Peyton. I mean, when I heard that you still hadn't turned up, I knew you'd be here, but I don't know what caused me to come here," she could tell that wasn't what Peyton wanted to hear. "I guess I need to apologize," she added with a sigh.
Flinching at Brooke's tone, which seemed resolute instead of apologetic, Peyton shook her head. "I don't want to hear it unless you actually mean it, so why don't you save it for someone who'll buy your crap," she said, but she didn't stop there. "Unless you're forgetting that we used to be best friends, and I can tell when you're being real and when you feel like you're being forced into something," she spat.
Looking at her phone as an excuse to look away from Brooke, Peyton realized she had slept through the night, and she had an appointment to get to. She got to her feet, wondering if she should go get her car, or if she should just walk to the appointment from there. "Well, Brooke, you're about to get what I'm sure is your wish," she couldn't help but add.
When Brooke looked up at her curiously, not quite sure what she meant, Peyton decided to explain herself a little better. "I can't do this on my own, and it seems that Lucas doesn't want anything to do with it. So, I won't be continuing with this pregnancy. Don't act like this isn't what you want anyway," she said as she turned to walk away.
The look of shock that had been on Brooke's face was etched in Peyton's mind the whole walk to the clinic. She wished she could feel satisfaction, but all she could feel was horror as she walked into the building. She didn't want to do this, but without Lucas, she had no other choice. She wasn't ready to be pregnant again, and she definitely couldn't be a single mother.
Unsure of what she should do, Brooke just sat there for a moment, trying to figure out who to call. She knew she shouldn't have come to make up with Peyton, because she wasn't ready to yet, but she also knew that wasn't ready to make up with Peyton, and she had only come to fix things because Haley had forced her to.
With a sigh, Brooke got up and got out her phone, dialing a familiar number. "Okay, you need to find Peyton, like now," she paused, wondering if she should disclose the next piece of information. "She's about to get rid of her baby, and I have no idea what to say to her," she paused again, allowing a bit of yelling to come through the line as she got in her car. "Just talk to her. She needs you," she hung up.
After checking in with the nurse, Peyton went to the bathroom, finally noticing how horrid she looked, with grass stains and dirt in her hair. She did her best to brush everything off, and then pulled her now ratty hair up into a pony tail. She splashed some water on her face and then stayed in the bathroom for a few minutes before finally going back into the waiting room, only to want to turn right back around.
Before she had to walk all the way over to the chairs, the nurse called her name for her to sign the consent forms. She saw the nurse's sympathetic look, as she asked if she was going to be going through the procedure alone. "Yeah, I hope so," she murmured, handing the clipboard back to the nurse before walking over to Jake, who was waiting for her.
Sinking into the chair next to him, she kept her attention elsewhere. "So, who sent you here? Was it Brooke?" she laughed harshly, because she was the only one who knew where she was, so it had to have been Brooke. "She couldn't handle me herself so she called you? Well, I'll save you the trouble, because there's really nothing you can say that'll change things," she said, confidently, still not looking at him.
Staring at her, still trying to work through this himself, Jake couldn't help but shake his head. "Not even this: It's going to be okay, Peyton. You'll be a great mother. You are a great mother, and just because you are going to have another baby, doesn't mean you can ever replace our daughter," he paused, noticing that she had finally looked at him. "Oh, yeah, and it's okay to be scared. Does that change things, even a little bit?" he asked.
Blowing out a sigh, Peyton began to chew on her bottom lip. She knew that if she was honest with herself, that did change things. A lot. She had been wanting to hear those words from Jake, and they definitely helped. She didn't know if it was enough though. She really needed to hear from Lucas mother than anything, but she didn't know if that was going to happen.
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Exactly as Nathan had suspected, he found Lucas at the Rivercourt, shooting hoops. He quickly got involved in the game, and the two brothers just played basketball for a while. It had been the first thing they had bonded over, and sometimes they just returned to the court and they didn't need to talk. Nathan knew that Lucas needed to talk, though. "So, when are you going to make things right with her?" he asked, catching the ball underneath his arm.
The blonde turned away from his brother, running a hand over the back of his neck, before he turned back to his brother. "She's lied to me, Nathan. She at the very least kept the truth from me. What am I supposed to do now? I thought she was doing better and she's still keeping things from me," he said angrily, but they both knew he was hurt more than he was angry. He didn't understand why she didn't tell him.
Knowing just how much his brother was hurting, Nathan didn't rise to Lucas's anger, though he was pretty sure Lucas might have preferred it if he did. "Listen, Luke, you're never going to get the answers to those questions, unless you ask her. Hiding from her isn't going to help anyone. Go talk to her before one of you does something you both regret, and it's too late to take it back," he offered.
Snapping his gaze to meet Nathan's, Lucas thought over the words for a moment. There had been a certain tone to Nathan's voice that made him think that Nathan knew something he didn't. He didn't question it for the moment, though, choosing instead to ignore everything Nathan had said. "Give me the ball, Nate," he said, holding his hands out.
Tossing the ball to Lucas, Nathan didn't protest as Lucas started shooting hoops again. Lucas was working out what Nathan had said in his mind as he played with the basketball and they both knew he. Lucas finally stopped shooting hoops and turned to look at Nathan again. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked, but Nathan stayed silent. "Nathan, damnit, what do you know?" he asked, throwing the ball away in frustration.
Shrugging, Nathan shook his head, still not rising to the bait. "I don't know anything for sure, Lucas, but I do know that if you don't call her, and soon, you're probably going to regret it. So just get over it already, and be there for the girl that you've been saving since we were sixteen," he said, turning and walking off the court.
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When Nathan got home, Haley was cleaning out the drawers in the kitchen, for lack of something better to do. She looked up with a smile when he walked into the kitchen, and pulled him close when he approached. "I trust you fixed everything on your brother's side, and, if Brooke has done her job, then those two should be getting back to their happily ever after soon enough," she said when she pulled back.
Before he had a chance to say anything, Brooke came into the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of water. "I don't know why you sent me to find her, Haley. It was a rotten idea, and I don't think anyone was helped by that. Especially not Peyton if she actually goes through with murdering her baby. I need to go," she said, and left just as quickly as she had come.
Unable to process that immediately, Haley began cleaning out the drawers again. She began slamming things around, as she worked, and Nathan stayed back for a minute, knowing that she needed space and she would come to him when she was ready. She did, walking over to him, and into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she tried to figure out what to say.
Pulling away, Haley was suddenly very upset. "How could she do this? How could this happen? Why would she even think of getting rid of her child, of Lucas's child? I can guarantee that she didn't mention this to him. I know she was having a hard time, but in what universe could she ever think that this is okay?" she asked rhetorically, running a hand through her hair as she began to pace the kitchen.
Understanding that Haley needed to get this rant out of her system, Nathan just let her go on. He wasn't too happy with Peyton right now either, to be honest. He only hoped that Brooke was wrong, or that Lucas would get to her in time. "It's not our place to interfere, Hales, and you know that. I hope she won't be that stupid, and I hope my brother will stop being an ass, but we've done all we can do," he said, grabbing her by the arm to stop her pacing.
Sighing deeply, Haley knew her husband was right. She had certainly tried to talk sense into Peyton enough times since they had been to the doctor. She knew that it was up to the two blondes now, and she only wished that they didn't have such a bad track record with doing the right thing for their relationship. "You're right," she murmured to her husband, and she began cleaning out their kitchen drawers again.
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Still unable to find the words to say, Peyton stayed silent, really wishing that it was someone else beside her. "I can't do this without him, Jake. I just can't. I already lost one child, but I can't do this alone," she finally said, burying her face in her hands and beginning to sob.
For a moment, Jake just sat there because he didn't know what to say or do, then he reached out and began rubbing her back. "Peyton, you can't do this, okay, you just can't. You may think that you have to right now, but you'll regret it one day, and you shouldn't have to live with that kind of regret," he said, still rubbing her back, as she just continued sobbing, and he was wishing there was something more he could do.
Instead of saying anything, Peyton just kept her face buried as she tried to control her sobs. Jake didn't even know if she was really listening anymore. "Peyton, I miss you everyday. I miss us, and the family we had. I'd be the first to admit, I wish things could be like they used to be," he paused, and her sobs subsided for a moment. "It's just not that way, Peyton, and we have to accept that," he finished.
Lifting her head, she began wiping her tears away. "It was great, Jake. It was amazing. I saw it, I could picture it. She had brown curly hair, and green eyes, and your nose. She was perfect and we could have had it. It all would have been perfect," she cried as the tears began to fall even faster now, and this time instead of burying her face in her hands, she buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.
Wrapping his arms around her, Jake continued rubbing her back. He could see what she had described, but he knew the reality of things. "Peyton, that would have been great, I'm sure, but that's not how it ended up. Life turned out this way because it was meant to, and I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything, and I'm sure you wouldn't either. You have to take the good with the bad, and just move on," he said.
Shaking her head, she couldn't believe he was saying this. "You really wouldn't change how things are now?" she asked, and he just shrugged. She felt reassured, for some reason. She could perhaps do this, since she knew that Jake was happy. She nodded, wiping at the tears now, as they began to slow. She knew this didn't make things right, but she couldn't explain why she felt better.
Not better enough to not go through with the appointment, though, and as she met his gaze again, she knew he realized that. "Peyton, please don't do this. Even if Lucas doesn't help you, I'll be here for you, I promise. Just don't go through with this," he broke off as her phone started ringing. She pulled it out, and they both saw the display. "Answer it, please. Talk to him, and then make your decision," he begged.
Staring at the phone, Peyton looked up at Jake and then back down at it, trying to stop the smile that wanted to spread on her face, despite the circumstances. She stood, nodding. "Thanks, Jake," she said, and then she left the clinic, flipping open her phone as she did. "Hi," she said simply, wanting nothing more than to hear his voice, or see him. She paused for a moment. "Okay, I'll see you in a minute," she said, hanging up.
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After leaving Naley's house, Brooke just walked around. She wasn't ready to drive yet, and she didn't want to make the drive until she knew whether Peyton had actually gone through with it or not. She wasn't ready to make up with the blonde, but she had been friends with Peyton so long, she couldn't help but care if Peyton was going to ruin her life. She had called Jake, because she knew Peyton needed him.
At the same time, though, she knew who Peyton truly needed. She just wasn't ready to call her ex-fiancé and tell him that his new girlfriend needed him to stop her from getting an abortion. She knew that Peyton and Lucas were right for each other, but she just wasn't ready to accept it yet, at least not with good graces. She didn't want to see about them being together, or hear about it. She'd prefer to pretend to be clueless.
Just as she was thinking that, she ran into a hard body. She looked about, about to snap at the person to watch out, but the attitude died on her lips as she met a pair of brown eyes. She closed her mouth and swallowed, as she felt the guy, who had grabbed onto her to hold her steady, let her go. She desperately wanted to tell him not to, but instead said something else. "I think you should buy me a coffee or something, since you ran into me," she demanded.
Looking somewhat alarmed, a charming grin suddenly spread across this unknown guy's face. "Alright, I guess I can do that," he said, and he took her arm, and led her into the coffee shop they just happened to run into each other in front of. "I'm Julian Baker by the way, and do you plan on telling me your name before or after I buy you coffee," he asked as they walked through the doors.
Smiling at him wide enough that she knew her dimples would be showing, she shrugged demurely. "You know, I just might, after the coffee, I guess it all depends on whether or not I decide that I like you," she replied, trying to remain mysterious, even though she already wanted to know everything about this guy. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but she might want to see where this would lead.
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Walking straight to the Rivercourt, Peyton didn't even think about how ratty her appearance was, or the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing last night; at least, she didn't think about that, until she got close enough to see him. She slowed down as she approached, because she knew that he hadn't noticed her yet, and he was still concentrating on basketball.
It really was a thing of beauty, watching him, despite the fact that he couldn't play all that hard. He still put all that he could into it, and it was easy to tell that it was something he loved. She cleared her throat as she got closer to him, waiting as he turned around, and spotted her. She stopped walking at the edge of the asphalt, because she wasn't sure if he wanted her to get any closer, and she wasn't sure she could get any closer, without losing control.
Turning, Lucas finally spotted her, and he felt his breathing quicken, and his heart slow and speed up as it always did when he saw her. He shook his head slowly as he wondered how he ever thought he could stay mad at her for any long period of time. He wasn't quite ready to let her off the hook though, at least not with an explanation. He walked over to the bleachers and sat down. "Sit," he offered, gesturing to the spot next to him.
Moving slowly over to sit next to him, Peyton just waited, waited for the yelling, or the questions, or whatever was going to happen. He didn't seem to want to break the silence, though. She wasn't sure if she could, but she knew she had to say something. He deserved better than her silence. "I'm scared. I don't know if I'm ready for this, Lucas, if we're ready for this. It's going to be so hard," she said softly.
Wanting to reach out and comfort her, but not really being able to yet, Lucas just ran a hand over the back of his neck as he looked out across the Cape Fear river. "Peyton, we can do this. I want to be there for you, and I always will be, okay. I'm not giving up on you. It's all going to be okay. We'll get through this together. You just have to talk to me about stuff like this, okay?" he said, and he knew the hurt was coloring his tone.
Biting her lip, Peyton finally began to pour out all the things she was afraid of. "What if the baby doesn't like me? I mean, why should it, Lucas? I don't even get why you like me. I'm so broken, still. How am I ever going to take care of a baby, when I can't even take care of myself? What if the baby is ashamed of me, one day, because I have to be on antidepressants?" she felt the tears well up, but tried to stop them, crossing her arms around her stomach.
This time Lucas couldn't help but gather her in his arms. "Peyton, that's crazy, you hear me. This baby is going to love you, just like I love you. You're not unfixable, okay. There is nothing wrong with you. You take some pills, that's never going to change how me or this baby feel about you, I promise you that. It's okay to be scared, and this baby will never replace the one you were supposed to have, but there is no one else I would want to have a baby with," he kissed the top of her head.
Focused on the words that he had finally admitted straight to her, Peyton pulled back, blinking back tears as she looked up at his face. "I love you, too," she said with a watery smile, before leaning up to kiss him. "You really mean all that?" she asked when she broke away, looking up at him as her green eyes became worried. "I mean, you wouldn't take Brooke back, or anyone else over me?" she barely heard the words herself, and she felt embarrassed by them immediately.
A smile broke out on his face as soon as she spoke the words, despite the fact that he could tell she was feeling vulnerable, and it wasn't a joke to her at all. "Peyton Sawyer, I have loved you since I was sixteen. I may not have always admitted to it, but there is no one else I would want, for the rest of time, even if Brooke did one day decide she wanted me back," he paused, a new thought occurring to him.
It was a risk, he knew, and he was completely sure of what she would say, but suddenly, he couldn't imagine anything else. She had just admitted she loved him, and now he wanted to make sure she was saying that for the rest of her life. "I love you and only you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer. I want us to be a family, you me and this baby, but more than that, though, I want to prove to you I love you every day for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?" he asked, getting down on one knee.
A/N: Well, what did you think of that chapter? I think the next will be the last. This has been fun, but I think it's time for me to move on to other things, like the rest of my fics, which I have been neglecting in order to finish this one. The next chapter will jump a bit, and you'll find out what Peyton said, of course. I thought I'd give you all a bit of a cliffy for the second to last chapter, even though we all probably know what she was going to say. I have to say, I haven't got the last chapter written yet, but I think it will tie up everything nicely. That's it for spoilers. Thanks to everyone who left a review on the last chapter. I hope you continue to leave reviews as this story draws to a close.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.