Im sorry again for the delays on updating.. College is hard, nursing is hard, clinical is time consuming. Period.

And my best friend made me upload Temple Run on my phone, so i've been obsessed with that in my brief moments of relaxation before passing out from exhaustion. I really do try to write when i have any spare time at all! It's just slow and steady i guess. but no way I'll give up and let you down.

PS... I hear rumors that sophia and austin broke up, and it just makes me so so sad. I hope its just rumors... :(

Thanks to all who reviewed! Love your encouragement :)

AGE 11 1/2

Kneeling at the kitchen table, Avery Baker folded the edges of the paper, trying to make the wrapping on this present look as nice as possible.

"Momma, I can't do this as good as you do," the seven year old frowned.

Brooke's heels clack against the hardwood as she approached her daughter. She leaned over from behind Avery and tried to fix the corners so they were a bit more sharp and clean.

"Well you're certainly on your way to being a pro," Brooke smiled, taking another piece of tape off the roll and securing the corner.

"Now it needs a big pink bow," Avery smiled.

"Well, I don't know, Ave. Lydia's not a pink lover like you."

The intended receiver of this gift was not anything close to a pink-lover. The newly twelve year old actually hated pink. Lydia Bob Scott was in that stage where she didn't want to be girly at all. Brooke smiled as she thought about how similar Lydia looked to Nathan, but how really Haley she was personality wise. But tell Lydia that and you might get your head knocked off. She usually is so sweet and sincere just like her Mom, but she had the temper of her father at times as well.

"Can we leave for the party soon?" Avery asked.

"Well, not for a little while. Plus Daddy is gunna call us on Skype in a little bit too."

While the kids and Brooke were heading over to Naley's house soon, Julian was away on location for a movie in L.A. for two weeks. It was so hard for him to leave, and hard for Brooke to see him go, but it was something he had to do. Living in Tree Hill was a sacrafice for Julian's work, obviously, so it wasn't unreasonable that the studio would make him travel once in a while. And this was one of those times.

"Oh I wanna go check the computer!" Avery was very excited to see her Dad on the screen today. He'd called every day to talk to the kids this week (and more at night for just wife-time), and seeing him on screen really made her happy.

Brooke logged on to the computer for Avery and then headed up to the boys' room. They were in the spare bedroom/playroom sitting in front of the TV playing some video game.

"Okay, time to end this game guys," Brooke said civilly. They'd been playing since breakfast and she was sure that they were losing too many brain cells playing these mindless games.

"No."

She didn't even get the decency of a glance from either of her sons, and Brooke raised her eyebrow.

"No? Did you really just say no to me? Well I make the rules. You're done for today."

Brooke went over to the TV and unplugged the Xbox.

"NO!"

"WHAT!"

Her boys simultaneously wailled at her in shock.

"Why'd you do that! We'd just beat two more levels!"

"You made us lose everything!" Jude yelled.

Davis threw his remote controller to the ground.

"Well if you'd paused it instead of being rude to me, then you wouldn't have lost anything."

The boys groaned and Brooke shook her head.

"You two are getting on my last nerve lately, and you better shape up or you won't ever have to worry about playing video games again. We're leaving for the party in an hour and you're Dad's calling on Skype if you want to talk to him."

Brooke turned and spun out of the room, annoyed as ever. The twins were really pushing it since there was only one parent around. But Brooke Davis was NOT going to be a pushover. No way.

Downstairs, Avery was already talking to Julian online.

"And I wrapped it all by myself. Mommy only helped at the end." Avery held up the gift for the camera to see.

"That's great, sweetie."

"Mommy, Daddy's on!" Avery called as she saw Brooke descend the staircase.

"Hi Mommy," Julian said enthusiastically.

Brooke leaned down so the camera could see her.

"Your sons are driving me to my grave."

Avery laughed.

"Oh so now they're my sons..."

"Yep. Definately yours. I don't feel like claiming them today."

"You should make them stay home, Mommy. Lydie doesn't want grouches at her party."

"No, they'd only sit here and play video games, which is the last thing I want. I'm surprised they havent lost all vision fron staring at that screen for so many hours."

Julian put his hands up. "I didn't buy them that Xbox for Christmas..."

"Yeah, blame Santa. He should have brought them coal" Avery nodded seriously.

Brooke laughed and pulled Avery onto her lap. "Yeah, Santa should have been smarter."

Speak of the devils, Davis and Jude stomped down the stairs at that moment and came over to the computer.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Dad."

"Hi guys."

Avery put her hand over the webcam.

"Hey! It's my turn!"

"It's no one's turn, Avery," Davis said.

"Don't start," Brooke shook her head. She didnt want to hear bickering.

"Give your Mom a break guys," Julian tried.

Brooke walked towards the kitchen while the kids talked to Julian. She rubbed between her eyes where a headache was forming.

Some days were amazing; the kids would cooperate and get along. But other days it was like she didn't even recognize them.

That's kids I guess... and they were getting so old so fast. I mean God... when Lydia was born, she didnt even know she was pregnant yet. And now the youngest Naley Scott was turning twelve.

How time flies.

;

When the Baker family arrived at the Scott house, there were yellow, blue, and green balloons on the mailbox.

"No pink at all? What kind of princess party is this?" Avery asked.

"I don't think Lydia wanted a theme party, honey. She grew out of the princess stage."

"Only babies like princesses," Jude commented.

"Watch yourself kid," Brooke warned.

"I'm not a baby, Jude!"

Brooke rolled her eyes. Avery couldn't ever let that go. She had to defend herself... And Brooke thought it was ironic that she, herself, and Sam were the exact same way.

"Okay, let's go guys. You need to be civil and on your best behavior today."

"Why? It's the same people we see all the time," Davis said, jumping out of the car.

"Because I said so," Brooke put her hands on his shoulders and shook him back and forth playfully. Davis laughed.

When they entered the house, Nathan waved them over to the group and they walked through the foyer to the kitchen. Peyton, Lucas, Skills, Mouth, Millie, Quinn and Clay all greeted each other. The all found their way upstairs or outside to play and hang out.

"Hey Big Davis."

Brooke glared at her long-time friend. Nathan had been calling her Davis for years.. so when it began to conflict with her son Davis... Nathan added the not-so-appreciated prefix.

"Hey Not-So-Boy-Toy-anymore Old Man."

Nathan laughed and shook it off.

"Where's Haley?"

"She's-"

"I have arrived!"

Nathan was cut off by a very smiley almost-twenty-year-old dropping his bag just inside the door and extending his arms.

Everyone turned and Brooke smiled. "Jamie!"

The UNC Junior stepped towards his family and wrapped his arms around his Godmother.

"Hi Aunt Brooke."

"I think you got taller, Jame."

Jamie laughed. "Thanks." He would take any height that he could. Haley really screwed him with that height thing. He wasn't short, but he wasn't six feet either.

Nathan went over and shook his son's hand. "I didn't think you'd show."

"Well it's my sister's birthday and I figured I could use a weekend away."

For the last three years, Jamie had been pretty much a stranger. They could barely get him home on holidays, nevermind a random weekend.

Suddenly Sawyer and Lydia ran downstairs from her room and stopped abruptly.

"Happy birthday Lydie Bob." Jamie extended her an envelope. He got her a generic gift card since he had no idea what she would want.

"What did all your friends ditch you so you came home?"

Nathan laughed. His daughter had the same idea as him.

"No!" Jamie faked being offended. "Now give me a hug or you don't get your present."

Lydia jumped into her brother's arms, causing him to groan and everyone else to laugh.

"Thank you." Lydia grabbed the gift and walked off to put it in the gift pile.

"James Lucas Scott!" Haley came downstairs and walked quickly towards her son.

Instead of hugging him, like everyone expected, she smacked him on the arm.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"Sorry... I've just been busy. And I wanted to surprise you."

Haley smiled and shook her head, at least he was home.

;

After everyone ate and socialized, Lydia opened her presents. As everyone watched, Jamie slid over beside his Aunt and bumped her arm with his elbow.

"So... you gave up on the whole check thing I see..."

Jamie remembered his 'checks with a LOT of zeros' from his Aunt Brooke that he used to get.

Brooke gave him a look and shook her head. "You keep that to yourself if you want to keep that pretty face of yours. I'd be broke by now if I gave checks to everyone... especially my own kids."

Jamie laughed. "So I guess I'm just special."

"You could say that.." Brooke turned away.

"Oh don't pretend it's not true.. you loved me first, don't forget."

Brooke smiled. "Speaking of love... I hear you and Madison broke up."

Jamie's smug face faded fast. "Uh, yeah."

"It's a shame... I pegged you two as a more progressive version of Naley when you were six."

"I know. Apparently that's what everyone thought.. But we just.. we were apart a lot and... we fought a lot. And she's been so... so stressed. It just wasn't good for either of us anymore."

Brooke nodded. She'd heard a little from Haley, at least what Haley could drag out of her teenager. Madison was a nursing major and the demanding program left her stressed out and miserable, and it took most of her time away from Jamie. He was equally as busy since he'd joined some clubs on campus and was playing club baseball too. They had separate groups of friends now, and the young couple who had been officially dating since eighth grade (unofficially dating since about 8 years old) was growing apart. It was just their time to let go, but it didn't mean that it hurt any less. They'd been broken up for about two months now, but it was killing Jamie still.

"Well... you'll find someone new soon, I'm sure. Who could resist that face?" Brooke tried to lighten the depressed mood that she'd brought about in Jamie.

"Thanks... Instead of being the Nathan to someone's Haley... I'll just have to be the Julian to somebody's Brooke. The post-high school romance."

Brooke laughed. "I suppose so."

Naley and Leyton's love had started in high school. And Julian had come into her life years later. But it was so worth it. And she couldnt think of a better man for Jamie to emulate.

"Where is he anyway?"

"Working in LA."

"Big movie business man. Anything good?"

"I don't really know what this one's about," Brooke shrugged.

"Probably a chick flick.. maybe I can impress a first date when I say my uncle directed it," Jamie shrugged.

Brooke laughed. "I'm glad he can help you get back on the horse.."

"Yeah. Maybe by the time that movie comes out in a year or so, maybe by then I'll be over her."

Brooke frowned at the statement, but Jamie slipped away from her before she could respond. The poor thing.

;

After cake was served, the group socialized for a few more hours, but one by one the families started to head home one by one. Soon enough only the Scotts and the Bakers remained.

While Haley and Brooke talked on the couch, the twins ran up to Brooke.

"Can we go to the Rivercourt with Jamie?"

"Please!" Davis added.

Jamie walked up behind the boys. "I'm gunna kick their butts at H.O.R.S.E, Aunt Brooke."

Brooke sighed. "Okay, but you have to listen to Jamie and don't get into trouble."

"Yes!" The boys ran to the door before she could change her mind.

"I'll take care of them, don't you worry," Jamie smiled.

When they boys left, Brooke turned back to Haley.

"Anything to get them away from those damn video games and giving me some more Tutor Mom time."

"Yeah, Jamie was just as bad... and he has his whole Xbox, playstation thing in his dorm now so it doesn't get much better."

"Greaaat," Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Mom, why does Aunt Brooke call you Tutor Mom?" Lydia walked over from the adjacent room and Avery followed her.

"Well I used to call her Tutor Girl, Bobby Scott."

"Brooke has nicknames for everyone. I was a tutor in high school, and I switched to Tutor Wife when I married Daddy, and then Tutor Mom when Jamie was born."

"Mommy calls me Avey-cakes sometimes," Avery pointed out.

Brooke pulled Avery into her lap. "I only give nicknames to people I love SO so much, so pretty much everyone that was here today."

The girls smiled.

Haley sighed. "Ugh, I just had a horrible thought."

"What?" Brooke asked concerned.

"Jamie won't be a teenager much longer and next year Lydia will."

"I can't wait!" Lydia smiled.

"Oh yes you can!" Brooke insisted. "Stay young girls... being older isn't fun at all."

"Twelve years has flown so fast. You know, Jamie was just about Avery's age when you were born," Haley said to Lydia.

"Wierd." Brooke scrunched her nose at her youngest.

"The night you were born, Jamie made you that scrapbook introducing you to everyone."

Lydia laughed. "That has funny stories about you and our middle name... and you too Aunt Brooke."

Brooke nodded and remembered trying to explain to Jamie how she was 'sick' when she'd first met Haley... and had renamed her Brooke.

"Yes, yes. I remember."

The night Lydia was born brought up mixed feelings for Brooke. Yes, she got a sweet, loving niece out of that night, but she also lost a baby girl... the one that Chloe offered to them and then went back on her word. What a double birthday extravaganza that would have been, with Lydia and that child having the same birthday.

But Brooke tried to shake it from her mind. She didn't like to think about it... the 'what ifs' tortured her mind.

She'd be a mother of four. Twin boys with a younger and older sister. But that wasn't reality.

"You were such a beautiful baby... Your Aunt Quinn and I really wanted to steal you," Brooke said.

The girls heard a buzzing and Lydia grabbed Haley's cell phone on the table.

"Jamie says he can drop the boys off at home if you want," Lydia said to Brooke after reading the text.

"Hey, that's not your phone!" Haley pointed.

"Well if you got me one then I wouldn't have to steal yours."

"Touche." Brooke laughed.

"Maybe next year."

Brooke looked at her watch, and then looked outside. It was dark now.

"Well tell him thank you, that would be great. Cuz it's time for us to get going."

"Why?" Avery asked, disappointed.

"Because we can't overstay our welcome, honey. We're good party guests."

"Oh that's rediculous, Brooke. Stay as long as you want," Haley laughed.

"No, we have to go." Brooke stood up.

"Give me a hug, Lydie."

Lydia wrapped her arms around Brooke.

"Thank you for my presents."

"You're so welcome. Happy birthday, sweetie."

Those words made Brooke think about if she would have said this to a daughter as well today.

;

As Brooke drove herself and Avery towards home, the little girl was quiet. Brooke looked in her reer view mirror to see if she had fallen asleep. But no, Avery's eyes were wide open and she was looking out the window.

"My gabby girl is pretty quiet tonight... I know you didn't want to leave the party, but it's getting late."

"Mom?"

"Yeah honey?"

"What was I like the day I was born?"

Brooke swallowed. "What?"

"You were telling Lydia what she was like the day she was born. How about me?"

Brooke sighed.

"Well our situation with you was very different."

"Because I was adopted?"

"Yes, exactly." Brooke was happy Avery understood that.

"But you were there right? Even if I was inside Sam..."

Sam was such an abstract for Avery... a thing, a vessel that gave her to her Mom and Dad, more than an actual person.

Brooke didn't want to do this in the car, but she couldn't ignore her daughter's questions. Luckily they were pretty close to home.

"No, Avery... I wasn't there."

"Why not?" Avery furrowed her little eyebrows.

"Because I didn't meet you until you were six weeks old."

Avery didn't say anything. But Brooke could see through her mirror that the little girl's mouth hung open. She looked... shocked. Like every single fantasy she'd every had about her birth and adoption in general had been shot to bits.

Brooke's car pulled into the driveway and stopped.

"Avery..."

But before Brooke could try to explain, Avery ripped off her seatbelt, opened the door, and ran away from the car.

"Avery!"

Brooke got out, leaving the car on and her purse inside, and tried to see where Avery was headed.

Thankfully, Avery ran to the front door and tried to push her way inside. But of course the door was locked.

Brooke gathered her things, shut the car doors and approached the house. Avery looked down and faced away from Brooke while she waited for the door to be opened.

"Talk to me, sweetie. I know you're upset."

Avery didn't say anything, and it was cold out, so Brooke just unlocked the door. And immediately Avery ran inside. Brooke heard the door of Avery's bedroom slam seconds later.

Brooke took her time coming inside. She figured she'd give Avery a minute alone. She deserved to have that moment to herself. But Brooke didn't wait too long, since she knew Avery was probably more scared that she was upset and angry. Scared that everything she thought was real, wasn't.

Brooke knocked on the door before entering. There was no lock on that bedroom door. Brooke and Julian learned their lesson back when it was the twins' room and the then three year olds had locked themselves in their room alone. Needless to say, Julian had taken apart that doorknob and replaced it, and every other knob in the house besides the master bedroom, with new non-lockable ones.

In the dark room, Brooke could make out Avery's body curled up on her bed. She was crying. Brooke went over and sat down on the edge of the bed. She stroked Avery's hair.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you this... I just didn't think it mattered."

"Of course it matters!" Avery screamed.

"Baby, it doesn't."

Avery sat up and looked Brooke straight in the eye.

"You don't meet your daughter weeks after she's born... you have her."

Brooke shook her head. She grabbed Avery's face gently between her hands.

"It doesn't matter how or when you came into my life, baby. All that matters is that you're mine, and I love you, and I will always be your mom. You were ours from day one. You were meant to be our child."

Avery's head hit Brooke's chest as the two hugged. Avery cried for a bit longer but soon calmed herself down.

"I didn't know... there's so much I don't know."

"And I can answer all of your questions as best I can, whenever you want."

Avery took a deep breath.

"I don't want to right now..."

"Okay, that's fine," Brooke chuckled.

The hug separated and Brooke stood up.

"The boys should be back soon. Do you want some ice cream? I know it's before bed, and that you had already cake at the party, but I think you deserve it."

Brooke stopped at the door when Avery spoke.

"Do you think I'll ever meet her?... Sam, I mean."

Brooke turned.

"I don't know, Ave. Maybe someday."

"But... could you... do you know where she is?"

"No, baby..." Brooke bit her lip. "It's very complicated honey. And even if we could find her, I don't know if she would be willing to come here."

"Why not?"

"Because it was very hard for Sam to give you up, and she felt it would be too difficult to stick around and be in your life."

"Oh.." Avery didn't get why Sam wouldn't want to meet her. But then again, she didn't understand why Sam could have given her up in the first place.

"We're home!" The girls suddenly heard Davis yell from the foyer.

"How about that ice cream, huh?" Brooke tilted her head out the door.

Avery jumped off the bed and nodded, before heading towards the kitchen with her mom.

;

"Hi Jamie, thanks for dropping them off."

"No problem... Genes aside, those boys are actually pretty good."

"Hey!" Davis, Jude, and Brooke said all at once.

"Want some ice cream, Jamie?" Avery asked.

"No thanks. I have to get going."

"Will we see you before you go back to school?"

"Probably not. I'm going back to school in the afternoon tomorrow actually."

The kids said goodbye to Jamie and Brooke walked him outside. They hugged before he got into the car.

"It was great seeing you, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too, Aunt Brooke."

"Here," Brooke handed him an envelope.

"What's this?" Jamie asked as he opened it. Brooke waited.

"Whoa, Aunt Brooke." Jamie's eyes bulged at the check.

"I know you're having a tough time with your breakup and everything, so I wanted to give you a little pick me up."

"I can't take this. This is crazy."

"No, this is just a gift for my very special godson. Get yourself something nice. Or get a special girl something nice."

Jamie laughed and headed towards the car.

"But this does mean you have to visit way more!" Brooke yelled.

"I will!"

Brooke smiled as her godson's car pulled away and then headed back inside.

;

Once the kids were in bed, Brooke went to her bedroom to change. When she was in the bathroom washing her face, she heard her cell phone ringing on the bedside table.

"Coming!" She said to the phone as she hurried to answer it.

"Hello?"

"What are you wearing?"

Brooke laughed. "Naughty."

"Well I've been alone for over a week. I miss my wife."

"Why don't you skype me and find out what I'm wearing."

"Okay. Two minutes."

The couple hung up and Brooke opened her laptop. When 'JBakerDad3' sent her a Skype request, 'BDBakerMom3' accepted immediately.

"You look amazing."

She looked down at one of his old tshirts that she had slipped on. "Well thank you."

Brooke touched the screen and sighed.

"I miss you so much. You have no idea."

"I miss you too," Julian smiled. "How was the party today?"

"Great. Everyone was there. Even Jamie. They all wished you were there too."

"And did the birthday girl love her gifts?"

"Yeah.I just can't believe how big Lydia is now. When she was born, I could never have imagined my life now... And how great it is."

"Did you think a lot about... about Chloe's daughter today?"

Brooke bit her lip. "A little. Did you?"

"Of course. I always do this time of year."

Brooke sighed. She was so grateful that she and Julian could always talk about things. They had been through the same experience and it made them stronger as a couple.

"Me too... Oh. And I have to tell you about something."

"What?"

"Haley and I were talking about the day Lydia was born, and on the way home Avery asked about the day she was born..."

"Oh no."

"And I had to tell her that we didn't meet her for a few weeks after her birth."

"I'm sure she didn't react well."

"She was really upset. But I told her that it didn't matter because she was always our daughter."

"Of course."

"And then she asked if she could ever meet Sam."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I didn't know if we would ever see Sam again. I said it would probably be too hard for Sam to see her."

"I think that's pretty accurate. That's what Sam told me herself."

"I know... she just, I know she doesn't understand it."

"It's hard for me to understand, nevermind a seven year old."

"Tell me about it."

Brooke yawed at the end of her statement.

"Bedtime for Mommy."

Brooke chuckled. "But I don't want to hang up."

"Me neither."

Brooke laid her head on her pillow and closed one eye, but she could still see Julian on the screen.

"I miss you."

"I'll be home soon... And I can tell you're falling asleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"No, don't go. Don't hang up. I'm awake."

"No, you rest. I'll call again tomorrow. Just a few more days until I hold you in my arms again. I love you."

"I love you too." Brooke blows a kiss to the screen before shutting the laptop closed and falling sleep thinking of how much she loves Julian.

Review please!

~Haley :)