A particularly bright flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by the sound of thunder, broke Peyton's gaze off of Haley's. She shuddered and looked back at her friend, who happened to be in labor. "Hales. I really don't think this is the time to be talking about that. I mean, you're about to be a mother again. Should we really be talking about Lucas and I?" she said nervously, as she got up and began pacing the room.
After a few moments, in which Haley had another contraction, forcing Peyton to get back on the floor and take her hand again, the brunette met the blonde's gaze. She wasn't letting Peyton get away with avoiding the subject this time. "Peyton, we've put this conversation off for months. I think it's about time. Besides, what I say goes. I'm the one in the middle of shoving a baby through my lady parts," she said decidedly.
Groaning, Peyton sat next to her friend, and she didn't say anything for a long time. She wasn't sure where to start, and instead of saying anything to Haley, she let herself get lost in the memory of so many months ago.
FLASHBACK
Staring at Lucas, Peyton was literally at a loss for words. She wanted to say yes, wanted to say yes so bad that she was practically aching with the desire of it, could practically feel the word on her tongue, but something wasn't letting the word come out. She bit her lip as she tried to sort out her emotions.
As Lucas watched her, he already knew what the answer was going to be, but he couldn't break the silence. He waited for her to say it. "Lucas, I love you, and I really love the fact that we're having a baby together," she said with a smile, which didn't quite reach her eyes, as if she'd moved on to other thoughts already. "I just, I don't think I'm ready for marriage just yet. I don't want to lose you, but can we wait, please?" she pleaded, still chewing on her lip.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas just couldn't tell her know. He put got up and wrapped her in his arms, placing a kiss on her head. "Of course, Peyton. We'll wait as long as you need to. I love you and that's not going to change," he murmured to her, as she buried her face into his chest, holding on to him tightly, like she was afraid he was going to disappear.
END FLASHBACK
Shaking her head slightly, she felt Haley squeeze her hand again, bringing her back to the present. Things had gone back to normal between the two blondes after that, a good normal, which reminded Peyton of the perfect time before she had started having pregnancy symptoms. She knew it wouldn't last forever. She'd have to make the decision someday, but she didn't know she'd be having this conversation now. She hadn't told anyone, and she hadn't thought Lucas had told anyone about the proposal either.
Heaving a sigh, Peyton waited until Haley's pain passed. She still didn't know why she said no, really. She wanted to be Peyton Scott, more than she had ever wanted anything else, she was sure, but there was still that niggling feeling, that doubt in the back of her mind that she couldn't place. She had thought and thought, but half the time her meds left her feeling drained and numb, if not completely depressed.
Suddenly, she realized what had been eating at her for so long. She knew why she had said no, and she knew when she would be able to say yes. She wasn't sure Haley would understand, but it had never been clearer to her. "It's my meds," she said softly, but Haley cut her off before she could go on.
Squeezing her hand for an entirely different reason now, Haley's gaze turned sharp. "Peyton, when are you going to realize that none of us care that you are on medication. Lucas doesn't care. He loves you anyway. He wants to be with you anyway. It doesn't take away from what a great person you are. If you'd just realize that," she trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence, and her anger had burned out anyway.
Hurriedly, Peyton tried to explain, wanting to get the explanation out before Haley could yell at her some more. "No, it's not that. I know that, miraculously, he loves me anyway. I just, I can't stand the idea of getting married while I'm on them. I just feel so different when I'm on them, and I feel horrible when I'm not. I want to be able to feel my wedding day, the joys, the laughter. I want to be a part of it, especially with Lucas," she paused.
Looking at her curiously, Haley broke her concentration to clutch her stomach again, and when she had refocused, Peyton went on. "I know I deserve to wait until I can be off the medication. I just don't know when that'll be. It all seems so hopeless sometimes. How am I supposed to be a good mother, when I can't feel anything? I want to get off them, for my baby, for Lucas, for me, but I don't know if I'm strong enough yet," she admitted.
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Since Jenny was in bed, Jake allowed Nikki to pull him into the living room, and sit down across the couch from him. She didn't know how she wanted to start this, wasn't sure she could, but she knew she had to. She couldn't go on silently any longer. "Look, Jake, it's amazing that you're there for Peyton all the time. That's great. I mean, it shows how caring and compassionate you are," she began.
At her pause, Jake looked like he wanted to interrupt, but she didn't allow him too, knowing that if he did, she would lose her courage. "It's just, a part of me wonders if you just care about her as a friend, or if you still love her. I know you guys have a past and a connection and everything, but lately, you seem to be paying more attention to her, than to me," she swallowed, knowing she must sound horrible, but she couldn't help it.
Looking away from him, she tried to hide behind her hair, unsure if she wanted to see his reaction, because she was scared of it. She had never felt this way before, this shy nervousness, this insecurity. She didn't like it, but she loved him, and she'd put up with it, if he truly loved her back. She just needed to know if he did or not.
There was a long silence, so long, that Nikki almost wanted to lift her head and look at him, but she didn't. She waited in agony for him to say something, anything. She was just about to look up and demand him to say something, when she felt his hand underneath her chin. He lifted it, so he could look into her eyes. She didn't know if she was going to like what he said or night. She heard nothing but the pound of rain and thunder, and the lightning and candles lit his face as he finally opened his mouth.
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In the rental car, Nathan was already wishing he'd left Keller behind, and they had only been driving for an hour. It was simply his gut feeling that kept him driving towards Tree Hill. He needed to get to his wife. He knew it. He wished he had never gone on this stupid trip. He shut the radio off, as Chris kept singing along with it. "Alright, the Keller can accept that, let's have a chat then. How's your wife?" he asked.
Debating turning the radio back on, Nathan kept his eyes on the wet road, watching the lightning wearily. "Listen, Chris, Haley is very pregnant right now, and probably alone in our house, because Jamie's at my moms, and she is probably hating me right now. Thanks for renting the car, but I don't want to talk to you," he said shortly.
With a smug smirk on his face, he held up his hands in surrender, but being Chris Keller, he couldn't keep silent. "Dude, I have to point out once again, that it's not mine," he said. Nathan rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. "So how's Goldielocks doing? No one keeps in touch with the Keller," he asked.
Making a dismissive noise in his throat, Nathan couldn't resist the bait. "Oh, it couldn't be because you nearly ruined all our lives, could it?" he snapped back, not noticing the flash of hurt in Chris's eyes before the cocky smirk was back on his face. "No, don't say anything. Just shut up and sit there, please," he said, turning on the radio, turning it up so he could pretend Chris wasn't there as he continued worrying for his wife.
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After crying for a while, while Derek somewhat awkwardly rubbed her back-although she had to give him credit; he never gave up-Brooke finally started talking, explaining the whole sordid story to him, leaving out names. He responded at the right times, and stayed silent when she needed that too. She was finally ready to put the whole mess out of her mind and just talk to him. He was kind of interesting.
Derek had to admit, this wasn't the kind of situation he had ever wanted to get into, but it wasn't so bad with her. She took a long time to warm up to him, but when she finally did, it was amazing how different she was. He got her talking about her work, and she just lit up. He couldn't understand how any guy could ever cheat on her, but, really he couldn't understand how anyone could cheat, period. He wanted to get to know her better though.
As she kept talking to him, Brooke knew something was different about this guy. She knew that whatever she had had with Julian was mostly lust. She wouldn't say she loved this guy because she didn't know him, but already it felt like it could turn into that. She was kind of scared, but he hadn't even made any type of move toward her, so she was just going to keep talking to him for tonight, since they were stuck in this elevator together, and maybe they could see where life would take them after that.
Taking a risk, when there was a lull in conversation, Derek asked her out on a date. Brooke stayed silent for a moment, wanting to say yes, but scared to. She was scared of getting hurt again, but some part of her wanted to take the risk with this guy. She nodded. "You know what, I think I do," she answered finally, smiling at him, and just when she answered someone came in through the roof of an elevator, and a rope fell down, so they could be pulled out, to safety.
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Before Jake could say anything, the front door opened, and they heard footsteps approaching the living room. Lucas came in, soaking wet and carrying a flashlight. "I need to borrow your car. I think Peyton is over at Haley's, and my car isn't drivable right now. I can't get a hold of Peyton on her phone, and I'm worried, because I don't know if she's alright, if the baby's alright. Can I please borrow your car?" he asked.
Getting to his feet and grabbing his keys, Jake's instinct was to go with Lucas to find Peyton, but then he thought about it, and he knew that Nikki wanted to talk, and that she was right. It was Lucas's job to take care of Peyton. His job was to stay here with her. He glanced at her, and then turned back to Lucas, tossing him the keys. "Make sure you guys give me a call when this storm is over. Let me know she's alright, and the baby's okay," he said, letting Lucas leave the house, before turning back to his girlfriend.
Smiling slightly, Nikki shook her head as Lucas said a thank you and ran out of the house. She was going to tell him that it was okay, he could go too and make sure the blonde was okay, but he cut her off. "You're right, I've been spending too much time with Peyton. I need to focus on my girlfriend, the love of my life, the mother of my child. I'm ready to move this to the next step, Nikki, will you marry me?" he asked, getting down on one knee, taking her hand in both of his as he looked up at her.
Looking shocked, Nikki could do nothing but stand there for a moment. "Yes, Jake, yes!" she finally shouted, bending down to give him a kiss. She pulled him to his feet as they continued kissing, and they would have kept on going, if they had not heard a sickening crash that came from outside. They froze and looked at each other before they ran for the door, looking outside to see the car Jake had just loaned Lucas, T-boned into a car that neither of them recognized.
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By the time Nathan made it into town, he was on edge, not only because he was annoyed at Chris, but also because the feeling that something was happening to Haley kept growing. He was really worried about his wife, and only hoped that she and their unborn baby was okay. It only made it worse because he could barely see the road. He was maneuvering the streets when Chris made some stupid comment, and he turned for one second to say something at the other man, and when he looked back, he was headed straight for another vehicle.
Turning the wheel, he tried to get out of the way, but due to the water on the ground, and the speed he was going, he ended up hydroplaning, and the car spun, but didn't get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle, which T-boned the rental car he was driving. He looked around as the movement stopped, thankful that he was wearing his seatbelt, and almost wishing, as horrible as that might sound, that Chris hadn't been. He wasn't able to get out on his side of the car, so he waited until Chris got out and then climbed out the passenger side door.
While he waited for the driver to get out of the other car, he fished around in his wallet for his license, and told Chris to get the papers for the rental car. He was beginning to be worried, as more time passed and no one got out of the other vehicle, but when he heard shouts, and turned to see Jake and Nikki running over, he started heading for the other car. He barely heard them shout his brothers name over the sound of the rain and the thunder, but when he reached the vehicle and saw the blond hair, he immediately opened the door, and started dragging his brothers unconscious body out of the car.
As Jake approached, he could see that Lucas had been knocked out. He had been in such a rush to get to Peyton that he hadn't even put on his seat belt, so when his car crashed into the rental car, he slammed right into the windshield. He would probably have a bump on his head, and maybe a minor concussion, but Jake didn't think he would be hurt too badly. Jake knew that they should take him to a doctor soon, though, or Peyton would get upset with all of them. He began to help Nathan get his body out of the car, but just as they started to set him on the ground, he started to wake up.
Almost as soon as they had let go of him, Lucas tried to jump to his feet. He wobbled a bit though, and had to grab his head and stand still for a moment. He looked around at the people standing around, and the cars that had crashed into each other, trying to figure out what had happened. His gaze fell on Chris Keller, and his brow wrinkled in confusion. "What are you doing here, Chris?" he asked, but then shook his head, not really caring for an answer. "I need to get to Peyton," he said, and then began to start walking, but both Jake and Nathan stopped him.
Before either of them could say anything, he held up his hands. "Come on, you know if you didn't know where Nikki was, and she was eight months pregnant, you would go looking for her," he looked at Jake, and then his brother. "You know you're heading for Haley right now. Well, I think Peyton could be at your house, so I was headed there anyway. We can walk there together, so you can watch me in case I really did do some damage to my brain," he offered, knowing that Nathan would be walking to his house anyway.
Running his hands though his hair, Jake looked at Nathan, shrugging, because he knew they weren't going to be able to talk Lucas out of this. He looked at Nikki, and knew that Lucas had a point. If Nikki was in Peyton's position, he would definitely do anything to get to her. Nathan nodded, because he knew that he was heading for his own wife, no matter what. "I think this car's still drivable, actually, so we can just take it. We've got to get your car off the road first, though," he said, gesturing to the car they had just pulled Lucas out of.
Getting into it, Jake tried to start it, but it wouldn't turn over. He had to put it in neutral, and the guys moved it to the side of the road. Nathan got behind the wheel of the rental car, completely soaked now, and Lucas got in the passenger side, cutting off Chris as he had tried to. Chris had to settle for getting in the backseat as Nathan started the car, and Jake and Nikki headed back into their house. Lucas asked why Chris was with them, but Nathan just shook his head, indicating he didn't want to talk about it. "Long story," he spoke gruffly and quickly as he drove the few blocks to his house.
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The lightning was beginning to get further away, and the rain was starting to let up, Peyton noticed, which gave her hope that they would be able to call an ambulance for Haley before the baby actually came. Her phone still didn't have service though, so she was hoping Haley could hold on a little while longer. She had barely finished that thought before Haley started screaming in pain with another contraction, and, since so little time had passed since the last one, Peyton had to do what she had been hoping she wouldn't have to do.
Grabbing the nearest candle, one of many she had lit hours ago, she helped Haley pull down her pants and open her legs. She grimaced as she leaned down to check just how close to having this baby Haley was, and she gasped and sat up quickly. "I think I saw the head. Oh, God, Haley, you're about to have a baby, and there's no one here but me, and I've never done this before. I'm pregnant myself for crying out loud. I can't do this. You have to wait. Keep that baby inside you, Hales, please," she pleaded as she got to her feet and began pacing back and forth.
Grabbing her leg as she walked by, Haley gestured for Peyton to get closer, and when Peyton leaned down, she slapped her across the face, as the blonde had been beginning to hyperventilate. "Pull yourself together Peyton. I am about to have a baby, and your freak out is not helping. Go grab a sheet from the linen closet and lay it on the couch downstairs, then help me downstairs and onto the couch. Most importantly, breathe, because I can't do this without you," she said, letting the blonde get to following her directions.
Taking deep breaths, Peyton straightened, thinking more clearly since Haley had slapped her, and she did what Haley told her to do, and soon they were on the couch in the living room, Haley wearing her nightgown, with another sheet over her legs, as she prepared to push out a baby, and Peyton prepared to catch it. She held Haley's hand as she leaned down and told her to push again. Soon enough, Haley had pushed out a little baby girl, and Peyton cut the umbilical cord and took it over to the empty sink, which she had already prepared to wash the baby off.
Not long after that, Haley was lounging on the couch, holding her baby, who was now wrapped in a pink blanket, and Peyton was sitting over her, on the arm of the couch, cooing down at the tiny girl who she had helped birth, when the front door opened, and the three guys came into the living room, dripping water. Peyton's gaze when straight to Lucas, of course, and when she noticed the blood that was on his forehead, she immediately started trying to get up, but then she noticed Nathan and Chris, and that shocked her into falling back onto the arm of the couch.
Before either woman could say anything, Nathan noticed the baby, and he stepped closer. "You had the baby. Oh, God, Hales, I'm so sorry. I should have been here. I never should have gone to Charlotte when you were so close to giving birth. Then there was this storm, and I had to drive here with Keller, and then there was Lucas and the car accident. I just wish I had been here to see it. I'm so sorry," he walked over and looked at their little girl, as Peyton tried to process what he had said. Before anyone else could say anything, though, Lucas had collapsed.
A/N: It took me a long time to write this chapter. For some reason it just didn't want to come out, but I think it ended up pretty good. Tell me if you like it. This fic is coming to a close. I thank everyone for all the reviews and I appreciate them all. Let me know if you're still reading, and I will try to update more now, but I'm not making any promises.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.