A/N sorry for the wait again guys! Not at home at the moment so the internet usage is limited. So this is my chapter for now. I am also going to ask for your help. I have an idea of the 'bigger' picture of where I want this story to go, but not for the more 'filler' topics. If anyone has some ideas of where they would like the story to go, please let me know and I'll see what I can do with it. I really want to include more of Skills, but I'm really struggling to find some direction for his character! So let me know if there is something you would want to hear more/ less of. Like I said - I have the shell of this story sorted, but just some smaller themes of where this story may go :)

Thanks everyone for your messages - I'm so glad you are enjoying the story!

Peyton sat in the bathroom with the door locked watching the egg timer. Man she hated this. When they first started, she would get all excited, call Lucas in and they would have a look at the test together, now she just wanted to be alone. She used to try and busy herself as the test validated itself, but now, she couldn't concentrate on anything else. The timer buzzed and tentatively she picked up the pregnancy test and flipped it over… negative again. Frustrated, she threw it in the trash and walked out of the bathroom, back into the studio and threw herself into her work.

It had been 6 months since she and Lucas started trying for baby #2. Initially it started with reckless abandon and both of them thinking it would be so easy to fall pregnant. But now, after 6 months of trying, both were wondering, but were too afraid to say anything… Peyton even went to see Dr Williamson to see if there was anything wrong. All he could say was that their tests were fine and because of their age, he couldn't do any further tests until they had been trying for 18months. Peyton didn't know if she could take 18 months of this! She never wanted to be one of those couples who charted everything and wrote down the exact time she was ovulating and all that.

Learning from her best friend well, rather than face the problem and fill Lucas with worry also, Peyton had instead thrown herself into her work and to looking after Sawyer who was now fast approaching 3. Mia was working hard on another album, Haley, now that Amelia was older was looking at starting up her career again, and she had just signed up a couple more record deals. While she and Lucas had talked about it, both tried to brush it off and pretend that it really was nothing to worry about. Deep down, they were both concerned though.

Unable to concentrate anymore, Peyton quickly gathered up her stuff, packed up and decided she would use this extra time to see Brooke before she headed over to Haley's to pick up Sawyer where she was spending the day.

"Wow – I don't believe it! The famous B. Davis is actually working!" Peyton said as she salvaged a smile, entering Brooke's Clothes Over Bro's store.

"What do you expect… for the company to build itself up on its own?!" Brooke joked.

"Well…. Pretty much! Isn't that how it works!?"

"Haha, very funny! Well you know me, when you're a little depressed, we throw ourselves into our work… Julian is away again filming another stupid movie far away from home, so work is quite appealing right now!"

"Where is he this time?!"

"Sydney…. Seriously, if I didn't know better, I would think he was dating Nicole Kidman or something like that the amount of time he spends over there!"

"Speaking of which… you really should listen to these tunes that Karen sent me! I must say…. Australian music…. Not bad! I think we should try and find something with a similar sound for my record deals… some of this stuff is amazing!"

Brooke wades through the CD collection…

"Hmmm… I haven't heard of half of these! Powderfinger, Jet, Lisa Mitchell... Missy Higgins…. What type of music are they?!"

"Oh that's the best bit, they are all kinds! Anything from alternative, to Indie… but all refreshing! Here – listen to them and tell me what you think!" Peyton says handing back the CD's to Brooke.

"Awesome – thanks! I've been looking for something new!"

After a few minutes of mindless chatter between the girls, Peyton then asks

"Ok Brooke, have a favour to ask you. As you know, your 'niece' is fast approaching her third birthday. As you also know, she is, at the moment, completely obsessed with fairies, princesses and all things girlie. Where this came from I have NO idea, as that certainly wasn't me as a kid, and fair bet says it wasn't Lucas either! So maybe as Haley says, there is more in a name than we realise!"

"Peyton, I'll have you know there is nothing wrong with being into fairies and wanting to wear pretty things." Brooke teased. "I think it shows good taste!"

Peyton laughed. "Yeah, well… we all know why!" insinuating that Brooke was perhaps exactly like her niece. "Anyway, my question is that I was wondering whether Sawyer's famous fashion designer aunt, could make her a fairy dress for her party? We are going to throw her a fairy party for her birthday, and we figured that she should be the best dressed fairy of them all!" Peyton joked.

"Peyton, I'd be honoured to! You know I would do anything for that niece of mine" Brooke replied, happy that Peyton had thought of her to do this favour for her.

"So… while you're here – have a look at these new lines I'm designing. What do you think??" Brooke asked Peyton showing her some sketches she'd been working on before Peyton came into the store.

"Wow Brooke, they are amazing! I can't get over your talent, you just keep coming up with things better and better than the last!" Peyton exclaimed in awe.

"Haha, well I have a favour to ask of you too. See this one here? I want to put a design on the front, but I'm not entirely sure what. I was hoping maybe you could sketch something for me… you know, like in the old days?" Brooke asked.

Peyton laughed "Of course I would, but I haven't done much art in years. Not to mention, wouldn't you have some very artistic designers that would be able to do that very job for you?"

"Sure I do, but I just can't get the feel I want for it. Then I realised, the feel I was going for was a very Peyton feel, so why not get you to do it!"

"Ha – well I'll call this an even trade then."

The girls sat and continued chatting for a while. Meanwhile Millie walked into the store in a fluster.

"Oh my God! Do you guys know how much hair a dog can loose? Bella has been dropping hair everywhere! Dark, golden fur all over the place… It took me half an hour to find something decent to wear. Brooke – I have a new line for you… one that doesn't seem to draw pet fur to it!"

Brooke and Peyton laughed. "Ahh but she makes up for her faults with cuteness!" Brooke said. "How is the pooch training going anyway?!"

"Oh aside from the fur dropping, she's a perfect dog, doesn't put a paw wrong. We really do love her. Although half the time I wonder if she is ours, the amount of time she spends with Jaime!" Millie responded.

"Well ladies, I hate to break up this pow wow, but I really should go and get Sawyer from Haley, before she kills me"

Haley was enjoying some quiet time with Sawyer on her lap. She was teaching her the words to "When the stars go blue" and both girls were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Jaime was visiting Andre, Amelia was sound asleep, so it was just the two of them until Peyton came to pick up Sawyer.

It was at that moment that Peyton walked in to see her daughter curled up in her Aunt's lap, singing softly.

"This is quite the picture" Peyton said, unsure if she wanted to interrupt this moment.

"Mama! Aunt Haley is teaching me to sing!" Sawyer exclaimed, jumping up from Haley's lap and running over to her mother.

"So I see!" Peyton said picking up her daughter and giving her a hug. "Learning from the best hey!"

"Oh I don't know about the best." Haley laughed. "How was work at the studio?"

"Oh not so bad. I've got a handful of demo's for you to have a listen to." Peyton said while rummaging through her handbag and pulling out a few CD's to hand to Haley.

Peyton and Haley had worked it down to a fine art to keep the studio running. They shared baby-sitting duties, bringing the girls into to the studio on some days and working from home. One of the many benefits of running their own business.

"Well, we better get going. Lucas has a game tonight, so we've got to get home and ready!" Peyton said half talking to Sawyer and Haley.

"Thanks again Hales"

Brooke was sitting in her living room drinking a coffee and enjoying a rare quiet night at home. No sooner had she settled down that the doorbell rang. Reluctantly she got up to answer the door. She was greeted by Lucas holding the latest edition of B. Davis in front of his face, which incidentally had a photo of Brooke herself on the front cover.

"Lucas what on earth are you doing" she asked, standing aside to let him in.

"Oh my God, this is like the Brooke Davis! I'm like, standing in her living room!" Lucas joked in the voice of a 14year old girl.

Brooke laughed as she snatched the magazine from his face and hit him with it. "What brings you here at this late hour?" she asked, curious.

"Brooke…" Lucas said seriously. "I came to tell you that I love you… I want you."

Brooke paused for a second before hitting him. "Lucas Scott! How could you say such a thing? Although, I suppose I wouldn't put it past you given how bad you were in our high school years, flitting between the two of us!" Brooke laughed reminiscing over the old days.

Lucas laughed. "I had to come over and see you without Peyton knowing, and since she so conveniently spoke to you today about Sawyer's party, I had to sneak away after the game tonight, as I lost my excuse for visiting you."

"What's up?" Brooke asked, instantly worried. It wasn't like Lucas to come sneaking around and hiding things from Peyton.

"Ok, so as you know, with Sawyer's third birthday approaching, it's also our third wedding anniversary approaching." Lucas started.

"Usually Peyton and I don't do anything, seeing as it wouldn't be fair on Sawyer to leave her on her birthday and all that jazz. But we've been pretty stressed lately, what with all this trying for another baby and all that, so I've planned to take Peyton away for the weekend. We're going in a few weeks, that way we're not away for Sawyer's birthday."

"Oh wow Lucas that sounds fantastic!" Brooke started. "But…. What do you need from me?!"

"Ahhh – we were wondering if you would be able to look after your niece for a weekend?" Lucas asked expectantly

"Oh I would love to!" Brooke exclaimed excitedly.

"That's great! We'll be so appreciative! Now, this is a surprise, so don't tell Peyton about this….ok?"

"Sure…. So how are things going… you know… with all this baby trying and stuff?" Brooke asked tentatively

Lucas sighed. "She hasn't been talking to you about it?"

"Nope, I mean, she did at the start, but not for a few months now."

"I was afraid of that. It's just that… well its taking time this time, and she's worried about it… we both are. But Peyton wont' talk to me about it or anyone else really." Lucas replied.

"That's why I thought a holiday might be good… you know… take her mind off things."

"Well I'll be here whenever you need me. Always happy to do babysitting duties for little Sawyer-Brooke."

"Thanks Brooke, we appreciate it. Anyway I better go, before they both start to wonder why it took me so long to get home!"

With that Lucas got up and left, leaving Brooke once more to enjoy the peace and quiet of her home. She was worried about Peyton and Lucas. When they first started, Peyton always talked so optimistically about when the next baby came, but now, it's like she was too afraid to mention anything. All of the girls had noticed, but when they brought up the subject, Peyton quickly changed the topic. Brooke really hoped for their sake, that baby #2 would hurry up and settle everyone's nerves down.