A/N: Hi guys - first of all thanks to everyone for your reviews and comments! I am glad you are enjoying the story! I had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter. I knew where I wanted to end it, but I just wasn't sure how to flesh it out! So please, excuse me if it wasn't up to my usual standard ;).

Groggily Peyton climbs into the car behind Lucas. "I've let Karen and Andy know where we are going. Sawyer will stay with them, there is no point waking her up and disturbing her sleep too." She informs Lucas.

The plan was always that Peyton and Lucas would come to look after Jaime when the time came for this baby to arrive. The sooner the time came for the arrival however, the more Jaime also wanted to be there when his little brother or sister made it into this world. So the agreement now was that Peyton and Lucas would come and look after Jaime, but at the hospital instead of home, so that they all could be there when the much awaited for arrival came.

Now… hours later waiting at the hospital, the three of them were wondering if this was such a good idea. "Remind me again why I wanted to be here?" Jaime asks his aunt and uncle.

"Because you wanted to see your little brother or sister as soon as they entered this world?' Lucas ventured. He did think it sweet that Jaime wanted to be there for his mum and dad, but at this stage of the morning nothing was really sweet.

Hours stretched on and eventually Jaime fell to an uncomfortable sleep in the waiting room, while Peyton and Lucas cuddled into each others arms, not talking but rather each other lost in their own world of thoughts.

Lucas was thinking back yet again to that talk that he had with his mother on the porch steps. While Lucas still stood by his convictions, he still couldn't help wondering if perhaps he had been a little hasty with his decision. Everything his mother said was true. So many people had risked everything they cared about just so that he could play basketball. Deep down, he knew that and yet he still tempted fate by not taking his medication on the evening of the state championships. While they were older now and unlikely to take the risks in the same blind fashion a teen does, Lucas couldn't help but wonder…

Life would be unbearable without Peyton. There was no denying that. But there was also no denying how much she wanted another child, and how could he rightfully deny her that chance? Yet, how could he allow her that chance lest something happen to her and this time they don't come out so lucky. He couldn't imagine going through all of that worry and stress again. Even if he didn't loose Peyton, what if they lost a child? That thought alone was unbearable to him.

Lucas also couldn't get rid of that aching feeling that he was also denying Sawyer something, especially when he watched Jaime, Sawyer and Lily play. Sure, Sawyer could have her friends and relatives to play with, but something told him that this would not be the same as having a sibling. Something that not many of his friends had experienced, but one that he always drew his memories from the very close James' household, whereby it was chaos and harmony all in one breath. Where everybody hated and loved each other at the same time. It seemed like such a nice environment to grow up in. One where you knew that someone always had your back… even when your friends may not.

And yet, Lucas still couldn't get rid of that niggling feeling that maybe, they have had their fair share of luck and perhaps next time they wouldn't be so lucky.

*****

"So… a dog hey?!" Millie said to Mouth the next morning. "Are you sure about that?! I mean a dog is a huge responsibility! We'd have to walk it, train it, feed it, make sure someone can always care for it when we are away from home…."

"Millie, if you want a dog I think it's the right step. It gives us something to think about other than ourselves. Another being to care about. Not to mention…. I personally love dogs…"

Millie paused for a moment before smiling… "Me too. But the thing is… I've never had a dog before… I mean we had one when I was a kid, but that doesn't really count… I just want to make sure that if we get a dog we do it right this time. I think we should read up on everything before we decide exactly what we are going to do."

Mouth smiled and gently kissed Millie. "Well I guess we better head down to the library then!" Mouth said before quickly scrambling out of bed and out of sight.

****

Jaime shifted his weight once more while sitting next to his Aunt and Uncle who had fallen asleep in a rather uncomfortable position while still snuggling together. Who would have known that having a baby would take so many hours! While he was starving, and thirsty, he thought he better not leave from this spot, especially considering everyone was still very vigilant of him after the Lucas/ Lyndsay wedding fiasco.

Lucas stirred beside him. "Hey Buddy. Any news yet?!"

"Nope, none" Jaime replied. "Hey you think everything's going ok? I mean this is taking AGES!"

"Not by my watch it's not" Lucas replied! "These things take time I'm afraid. What's say you and I go and find us some hot drinks and some breakfast?" Lucas ventured.

Jaime nodded in agreeance. Lucas gently untangled himself from Peyton, who stirred as Lucas told her where they were going, before she fell back into an uneasy slumber.

******

"Oh my God Marvin! I didn't know there was so much information involved in this whole dog thing! I feel like I'm going for a job interview or something with all of these sorts of questions you are supposed to ask and be asked!" Millie exclaimed.

"You should have a look at this one!" Mouth retorted. "With all of these problem behaviours, it's a wonder we still live with dogs!"

Both Millie and Marvin were laden with books after their visit to the library. Determined to do the right thing, both wanted to expand their knowledge of the dog world.

"So what do you think we should get?!" Millie asked. "I mean do you want big or small, hairy or short coat…"

"I'm not sure. I think I prefer the bigger sized dogs, but I have no idea what I would actually want."

"Me either! I mean how are we supposed to decide from all these breeds what we actually want?!"

"Well this book says here to make a list of what you would want in a dog, and then see what breeds fit that"

"Hmm… that might be a good idea… surely it can't be that hard" Millie mused.

*******

"Tell me it wasn't this painful with all this waiting when Sawyer was born?!" Peyton asked Lucas as they continued to wait at the hospital.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her. "It was about 100 times worse" He said kissing her forehead.

"Uncle Lucas… next time, please remind me of all this waiting should my parents ever have kids again!" Jaime said evidently over the excitement of it all.

"Surely it can't be that much longer…" Lucas replied

They all then turned their attention to the doors of the delivery room in synchrony where Haley had disappeared a short while ago.

Peyton giggled. "I feel like one of those 'expectant fathers' from those 60s shows!"

This caused the rest of them to burst into helpless laughter. Every time they looked at each other one would start giggling and the vicious circle would begin once more.

This is the sight that Nathan walked out to see, carrying his new bundle. "So this is what happens when I leave you three alone for long periods" Nathan interrupted. He was grinning. Quickly all three heads turned to Nathan and the tiny bundle in his hands. After a brief pause, everyone started shooting questions at him a million miles an hour:

"Boy or girl?"

"How's Mum?"

"How's Haley?"

"Can I see it?"

"Can I hold it?!"

Nathan laughed once more before replying, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I'd like to introduce you all to our new daughter Amelia Jayne. Haley is tired, but doing fine. She wanted you all to meet the newest member of the Scott family right away."

Quickly and quietly they all gathered around to admire and get a better look at the latest arrival.

********

"Ok – so here's our list… we want a dog that is good with kids, medium to large breed, easy to train, gentle, loyal and relatively intelligent. We don't care about pet hair, slobber factor or whether or not it would guard the property. We are willing to at least do minimum training…. Does that sound right?!" Millie recited reading from their list they had spent the last few hours devising.

"Sounds good to me! Hey I just put our results into this online pet selection thing. It's come up with a few interesting breeds… What about a Cocker spaniel, Labrador, Golden Retriever, Cavalier…."

Millie comes over to inspect what is on the screen. They are soon however interrupted by the phone ringing. A short while later Mouth returns grinning.

"That was just Lucas. Haley just had her baby! A girl!"

Without any further ado, Millie and Mouth quickly packed up their things and started preparing to visit the newest member of Tree Hill.

*********

"Isn't she just perfect!?" Peyton cooed as she cuddled little Amelia. Lucas was sitting next to her, gazing at his new niece while Haley was propped up in her bed, glowing.

"I think she's pretty sweet myself." Nathan said walking in behind him.

"She's gorgeous mate" Lucas said, coming over to give his brother a manly congratulatory hug. "Congrats Little Brother."

Gazing at his little niece it all of a sudden seemed so clear to Lucas. He saw how perfect she was, but also those little moments Nathan and Haley were secretly sharing with each other, having been through so much in the past 24 hours in order to welcome this being into the world. Something that he missed with Peyton until days after Sawyers birth. Even then it was tainted with worry. Just like Peyton, he no longer could make the judgement call that there were no kids on their cards, not without consulting with the doctor who would be able to answer all of their concerns and tell them for sure whether it was safe for them to have more children. An educated risk, Lucas thought.

Looking again at his best friend, his brother, nephew and niece all sharing this moment together, Lucas felt it time for them to bow out before the next round of visitors came, which would be any minute now seeing as Lucas and Nathan had informed everyone of the arrival. "Well we might leave you guys to it. Jaime, you coming with us or staying here?!"

"I think I'll stay" Jaime said, evidently in awe of his little sister.

Lucas and Peyton smiled to each other, before kissing and hugging Haley and Nathan farewell.

Walking out of the hospital, Lucas wrapped his arms around his wife "So you think Sawyer will remember us when we get home?!" he joked.

"Not if I look as bad as you do right know" Peyton teased.

Lucas pulled her closer to him. "Peyton…." He began. "I'm ready to see a doctor about ... you know....." Lucas said, attempting to word carefully what he meant.

Peyton understood perfectly and stopped in absolute shock. This was the last thing on earth that she ever expected to hear. She looked up at her husband with glowing eyes, as though he had just handed her the world. Gently, she held his face in her hands, before leaning in to kiss him passionately.