"Lucas I have to say, this book launch has gone exceedingly well! Better than any of us ever expected. "

"Thanks Tony, I really appreciate all the time and effort you have put into this tour. Although I can't deny how happy I will be to go home again and spend some quality time with my family"

"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about Lucas. You see, the book launch has gone so well that we think your success is only just getting started. We would like to continue this launch into more states of the US and maybe even Canada. We'd like to make this effective immediately."

"Wait, so are you telling me that I'm not heading home tonight? Really Tony, I need to go home to my wife and daughter."

"Surely they can spare you for another few weeks?" Tony commented heartlessly.

Lucas looked at his publicist with worried eyes. "You don't understand Tony. Right now, I need to be with my family. I need to go home and be with them. This extended separation is not easy on any of us."

"Ok – what do you need? A week, two? Really Lucas, now is not the time to take a hiatus from your work. You take time off to spend with your family and your chance at becoming a best-selling author is shot. You have to grasp at the opportunities you have, and right now, this is your best possible chance! What could possibly be so important that you need to be there with your wife every second of every day? Surely she can understand?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment. He understood what Tony was saying, really he did. Yet more weeks on the road to him sounded harrowing. Impossible. Peyton was now 12 weeks pregnant and waiting for him to come home so that they could see Dr Williamson together. It sounded as though everything was going well with her back home, but Lucas didn't want to miss any of it. Not when they'd waited this long and tried for this long. He turned his attention back to Tony. But in the end he knew he wouldn't understand. Tony's life was his work. He didn't understand that family matters.

"Tony, how long are we talking here? I thought you said that a 6 week tour should do it. We've already stretched it out another 2 weeks. How much longer are we talking about?"

Tony was silent for a minute. "Three months." He responded quietly.

"Three months! I'm sorry Tony, I can't do three months of tour. I really can't! When are you planning on starting this tour? Where else do we possibly need to go?"

"Like I said – we want to branch out to Canada and also cover parts of the country that we haven't yet. As for when we are starting, I actually took the liberty of changing your flights from North Carolina to LA."

Sawyer came thundering down the hall into the kitchen. "Mama!" She hollered.

Peyton looked up from the breakfast she was making and turned her attention to her daughter, bending down to hug her and plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Well clearly you're up!"

"Mama! Daddy's home today!"

"Yes sweetie! Daddy's home today! What do you say we make him a nice big feast as part of his homecoming?"

Sawyer loved nothing more than making a mess with her mother in the kitchen. So this sounded like the perfect way to spend a day as far as she could see.

"Chocolate cake?" Sawyer asked innocently.

"Of course! We can't have a home-coming without chocolate cake. How about we make all of Daddy's favourite dishes? And then later we can decorate the house for him!"

Sawyer nodded her head in eager agreement.

Mouth and Millie were enjoying a quiet morning in bed, neither wanting to admit that they were awake and probably should think about getting up soon. A quiet padding could be heard down the hall and before either could react there was a huge THUD on the bed as Bella eagerly jumped up and started licking both Mouth and Millie in order to wake them up.

"Ugh! Bells, really – don't you understand the meaning of Saturday morning sleep-ins?" Millie brandished gently.

"Remind me again why we got a dog? Ooof, Bells move over" Mouth complained. "Also – how can a 30kg dog take up more of the bed than the two of us put together?"

Millie laughed "I think it was a good idea at the time!"

"Yes, well remember to talk you out of any future 'good ideas'" Mouth commented, scuffing Bella on the head, sending her tail into a whirling dervish.

"Oh c'mon, you so love it!" Millie said, leaning closer, seductively.

"Bells, get outta here" they both demanded in unison, as she promptly hopped off the bed and scooted out of the room.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Brooke called as she entered the Scott residence. Hearing voices in the kitchen, paired with Sawyers joyous giggles, she headed towards the back of the house to meet them.

"Oh good you're here. I've got all the stuff you asked me for and more. You really are planning a feast aren't you! I've got plenty of decorating material for later' Brooke commented winking at Sawyer. "Girls, we are going to give Lucas Scott a home-coming he'll always remember"

Sawyer giggled again and ran over to greet her Aunt Brooke. "Miss Sawyer-Brooke! My – have you grown since last night?"

Sawyer giggled and shook her head

"Well something's changed! Did you change your hair?"

Again, Sawyer giggled and shook her head again, but this time she showed her Aunt the kids jewellery she had donned.

"Oh – well that explains it then! How pretty! You look so grown up!"

Sawyer grinned and then returned to her work of beating eggs.

"How are you feeling?" Peyton asked, concerned for her friend. Since their talk, Brooke had once again thrown herself into everything. Helping Peyton with Sawyer, her work and anything she could do to busy herself. She was still her happy, chirpy self when she could be, but Julian's name was not to be mentioned. Brooke didn't even want to think about him, which only further emphasised the point that she hadn't heard from him.

"If you mean pregnancy wise? I'm fine, although the smell of peanut butter is enough to make me gag. As for anything else, well I've decided not to think about it!"

"Brooke really, it's ok to talk about it you know?"

"I know, but there is nothing to talk about!" Brooke said, flashing Peyton her best smiles.

If Peyton didn't understand how Brooke felt before she broke the news of her pregnancy to her, she certainly understood it now. So many times she had wanted to tell Brooke her news. Surely Lucas would allow and exception, given the circumstances. And yet she couldn't do it. She felt that it would be nothing more than a rub in Brooke's face as if to say 'look how happy we are that we are having a baby. Our lives aren't falling apart!"

Part of her wanted to call up Julian and abuse the crap out of him. But she knew she couldn't do that. Brooke would never speak to her again. If Peyton were honest with herself, she would probably feel the same way also. She just, wished there was something she could do for her friend

Millie ran through the house to get to the phone before it clicked off the hook an over to message bank. They really needed to get a 2nd handset for the other half of the house Millie thought as she bolted to the phone, grabbed it out of the cradle and fumbled for the button.

"Hello?!" She said breathlessly.

"Oh – so you are still alive?"

Millie paused for a moment, before answering back. This was the last person she expected to hear from.

"Mum?!"

"Yes, I'm surprised you remembered me, seeing as you are always so busy with your high profile job that you are too busy for us now" her mother replied curtly.

"Mum, it's not like that! I've been meaning to call you for a while."

"And I've just found out I can fly over buildings" her mother retorted

Sighing, Millie dropped the subject. She knew she would never win an argument with her mother.

"How are you Mum?"

"I'm good thanks. Although I wouldn't mind meeting this rather serious boyfriend of my daughters. I mean, can you believe you've been dating for 3 years now and we've never met him?"

"Mum, like I said, I've been really busy. I'd love for you to meet him."

"Well you've really got a special way of showing that!" her mother replied curtly.

Sighing again, Millie tried to think of a diplomatic response.

"When would you like to meet for dinner mum?"

"Oh I never thought you'd ask! How about dinner on Friday at 7pm?"

"Fine, we'll be there!" Millie responded.

Both Millie and her mother continued the conversation for some time before calling it a day. For Millie, this was like running up and down like a yo-yo. She hated meetings with her mother. They were always so stressful. That also was why she kept Mouth away. God only knows that anything that came out of her mother's mouth would be insulting to him.

"Wow – you look like you've been hit by a truck" Mouth commented as he walked into the room where Millie was sitting, stunned.

"My mother actually" Millie responded.

It was a while before Mouth responded.

"Your mother?"

"Yup – just rang, out of the blue! Apparently she wants to meet you"

"She wants to meet me?!" Mouth asked, perplexed.

"Yep! Friday night, for dinner"

"Wow" Mouth responded. He knew the time had to come eventually, although hearing the stories of Millie's mother from Millie herself. Well frankly, it made him a little nervous.

Both Mouth and Millie continued to sit there for some time as the information digested.

"Tony, you can't just change my flights like that without giving me notice! My family is expecting me tonight! I'm not even sure I can commit to three months of travel! Is there not any other alternatives?"

"Alternatives? Well I guess your family could come with you?"

Lucas again thought of Peyton and her pregnancy. Travelling for the better part of three months really couldn't be good for her, especially considering her medical conditions and the possibility of a PP pregnancy.

"Look Tony, I honestly don't know if I can commit to this. What damage will this be to my career if I decline?" Lucas tentatively asked.

"It would be almost lethal Lucas. I can't deny it. While your book launch has gone exceedingly well, we really need to get your name out there. It's not easy for a new author to break into the markets these days."

Lucas knew he was speaking the truth. Was there no way out for him? He had to choose between his career or his family?

"Look Tony, this isn't really well known knowledge, but Peyton's pregnant. You surely can't expect me to leave her by herself for another three months?"

"Peyton's pregnant?! Wow – congratulations! I understand what you are saying Lucas, really I do, but I don't think that we can do anything to change this. How about I speak to my manager and see if we can tweak the dates a little?"

Lucas merely nodded. "Look, I would really like to at least go home tonight. My family is expecting my return. Can we also try for regular trips home?"

"I'll try my best Lucas, but I can't promise everything. I mean, we've already changed the flights so it's unlikely you'll be going anywhere other than LA tonight."

"So pretty!" Sawyer commented as she looked around the house. "Daddy will love it!"

The house had been expertly decorated by Brooke, with the help of Sawyer, and a delicious spread had been prepared for the 'welcome home feast'.

"Well this was actually fun!" Brooke commented

"Of course! Weren't we once told that no-one else could 'rock' a party like me and no-one else could 'plan' a party like you?' Peyton giggled. "Although I must say, how we 'rock' and 'plan' has changed just a little.'

"Speaking of 'rocking'. P. Scott, you are letting the team down. Shouldn't we have some rocking music about now?

Peyton merely smiled and headed to the turntable to put on some music. Before she could align the pin and have the music start, her phone rang. Looking down she saw Lucas' name pop up. Eagerly, she answered the phone.

"Hey Hun, you almost home?"

"Uh, not exactly no" Lucas responded slowly

"Oh well how far away will you be?" Peyton asked cheerily. "you're daughter's been asking for you every 2 minutes, and I'm not that far behind her I think" Peyton teased.

Lucas paused for a while, unable to say anything. Confused, Peyton thought the line must have dropped out.

"Lucas, is everything alright?"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about"