-12 months later

"I just don't understand the Teen Choice Awards….I didn't vote for any of those people" Rachel sighed and curled deeper into the couch. Brooke had been down in the dumps since she'd been forced into taking early maternity leave so Lucas had invited the gang over in an effort to cheer Brooke up. Haley, Brooke, Peyton and Rachel were sitting in the living room watching the Teen Choice Awards while the guys spent their time in Brooke and Lucas's furnished basement playing video games.

"I know…I mean how many awards can Miley Cyrus win?" Haley frowned.

"Oh Haley you don't even know how popular Hannah Montana is…wait until Leah grows up and you'll have non stop insight to how much of an effect that people like Miley Cyrus have on little girls" Peyton explained. "And since when do you vote for the Teen Choice Awards Rachel?"

"Since always Peyton…Since way back when it was the old school Teen Choice Awards…when guys like Paul Walker and Joshua Jackson were nominated for surfboards" Rachel scoffed looking at Peyton.

"Whatever….You ok Davis Scott?… you've been awful quiet tonight" Peyton asked looking over at Brooke who was curled up in a lounge chair sketching a few designs in her sketch book. Brooke looked up and nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine…I'm just playing around with a few ideas for some new dresses" Brooke laid her pen and sketch book on the coffee table and looked over at her friends. The truth was Brooke hadn't felt well at all that night, she was tired and her back hurt and the baby was constantly moving around inside of her.

"I didn't think you were supposed to be working…. That's the whole point of maternity leave is to prepare for a baby" Haley informed Brooke as she stood up from the couch she was sitting in and stretched.

"Haley…I was just drawing you guys don't have to narc me out to Lucas I mean I'm sure he has you all doing some kind of private investigator work for him" Brooke groaned and laid her head back against the lounge chair.

"Brooke I didn't say anything I was just wondering if you were feeling ok" Haley said and walked over to her friend.

"I just wish everyone would lay off of me a little bit…I'm fine I just wish you guys would understand that" Brooke explained.

"Whatever Brooke I'd kill to be in your position…having Mouth and all my friends killing themselves to do things for me" Rachel explained and looked at Brooke and Haley.

"Rachel please Mouth bends over backwards to do things for you and you're not even pregnant" Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Actually…I am" Rachel said softly.

"What?" Peyton, Brooke, and Haley said at the same time.

"I found out this morning…I was just waiting for a time when I could tell you guys" Rachel explained looking at her friends.

"Rachel you're pregnant?" Haley asked in disbelief.

"Yeah…Mouth is so excited but I'm scared as hell so if we could maybe talk about something else while I continue to process this I'd appreciate it"

"Congratulations Rach" Brooke smiled.

"Thank you" Rachel said and turned her attention back to the TV. "I don't get the big deal with the Jonas Brothers either…."

"Are you kidding that song "When you Look Me in the Eyes" is like the best love song ever" Haley shook her head and narrowed her eyes a little.

"It's ok….I mean there are better love songs…"I'll Be" by Edwin McCain is an awesome love song…it's mine and Jake's song" Peyton smiled.

"That is a good song…I don't think Nathan and I have a song" Haley frowned and furrowed her brow as she thought.

"Well with a new baby and a little boy in school now it's probably hard for you to find time to listen to the radio that often" Peyton said to Haley.

"Yeah…but it's worth it" Haley explained looking over at the car seat were Leah was asleep.

"Mama" Hannah called from the nursery.

"I'll be back you guys" Brooke got up and started towards the nursery.

"Yeah I'm going to go check on they kids to make sure that they aren't driving Jake crazy…I think tonight's kind of hard on him because it's Jenny's first ever sleepover" Peyton smiled sadly as she thought about Jenny being away from home with her friends for the first time.

"Sounds like its hard on you too" Haley followed Peyton through the living room and to the door to the basement.

"It is I mean the whole time I've known Jake it's always been him and Jenny and it's like tonight I felt the same way that I did when he came back to Tree Hill with Jenny….you don't realize how much you've missed someone" Peyton sighed as she started down the basement steps.

"Peyton it's for one night…I'm sure that Jenny is having the best time" Haley assured as she followed her down the steps.

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"Hey monkey" Brooke smiled and walked over to Hannah's crib. "You didn't stay asleep very long"

"Play mama" Hannah said holding up her arms for Brooke to pick her up.

"We played earlier…remember you played with Hayden, and Emily, and Jamie…and remember Aunt Haley let you help feed baby Leah her bottle" Brooke held onto Hannah's hands but didn't pick her up.

"No sleep" Hannah said and frowned.

"You are just like your father…pouting when you don't get your way" Brooke sighed and brushed the baby's dark hair across her face and kissed her forehead gently.

"Dada" Hannah pointed to the door and looked up at Brooke.

"No…Hannah it's time for you to go to sleep…..you'll see daddy in the morning for breakfast"

"Baby" Hannah said and pointed at Brooke's stomach.

"Yeah…you'll get to meet your baby brother in a few months" Brooke ran a hand across her stomach and smiled.

"My baby" Hannah sighed and sat down in her crib.

"Mommy will see you in the morning…I love you"

"La ooh mama" Hannah replied and laid back down in her crib.

Brooke couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes as her baby girl did the best she could to explain the way she felt about her mother. Hannah had been learning all kinds of new words lately and "La ooh" was Brooke and Lucas's most favorite. It melted everyone's heart even Nathan teared up when Hannah said it to him. Brooke started to walk out of the nursery and groaned when she felt a light contraction radiate over her body.

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"Nate man…don't go in that building….please don't go in that building you're going to get killed if you go in that building…the zombies are in there….the zombies are in there" Jake exclaimed placing his hands on his head.

"There's no where for me to go Jake…I can't go back I've got to go in the building"

"I told you man…I told you there they are…there they are" Jake started to spontaneously jumped on the couch and pointed. "Get em'…get em'"

"I'm trying man…I'm trying…there's just too many of them" Nathan tried to fight off the zombies that came at him in the game but to no avail he was killed.

"Crap" Nathan threw down the controller and folded his arms as he laid back into the couch.

"That was such a creepy game" Moth said looking at the screen and at the group of guys.

"Yeah" Lucas agreed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Peyton screamed swinging the door open causing all of the guys to jump and some of them to even scream.

"What's wrong with you Peyton?" Nathan shouted and stood up.

Peyton didn't reply because the only thing that her and Haley could do was laugh.

"That's not even funny…I have a bad heart" Lucas said running his hands down the front of his cargo shorts.

"I told you we shouldn't have played this game…I didn't want to play this game…oh god does anyone else smell burnt toast…I think I'm having a stroke" Jake shook his head.

"Oh poor baby" Peyton laughed tears streaming down her face as she walked over to Jake and wrapped her arms around him. "Where are the kids?"

Jake pointed to the adjoining room "Hayden fell asleep so I put him in Hannah's playpen and Em and Jamie are playing in there too"

"Ok…I was just checking"

"Lucas!" Rachel's screams came from upstairs.

Lucas heard Rachel's scream and his knew in an instant that something was wrong. He ran up the stairs and he found Rachel helping Brooke sit down on the couch. Lucas's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach and he ran over to Brooke, who was hunched over holding onto her stomach. "Brooke, what's wrong?"

"Luke….I think I'm in labor" Brooke looked up at Lucas and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Are you sure…I mean its not false labor is it?"

"I don't know…maybe I should just lie down for a little while" Brooke looked past Lucas to her group of friends who had gathered in the living room.

"No, I'm going to take you to the hospital" Lucas stood up and put his arm under Brooke's and helped her stand up.

"We'll go with you" Nathan and Haley both said.

"No, you guys don't have to do that…I'm sure it's nothing" Brooke assured forcing a smile. "Just keep an eye on Han for me please"

Haley nodded and walked out on the porch and watched as Lucas helped Brooke into his car.

"I hope that she's ok…the baby too" Peyton rested her head on Jake's shoulder.

"They'll both be just fine" Jake placed a kiss on the top of Peyton's head.

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Lucas and Brooke had went into the hospital and they had taken Brooke right on back to an available room. They were waiting on Brooke's OBGYN Andrea to make her way into the room. Lucas rubbed Brooke's back as he tried to ease some of the pressure from her contractions.

"I'm scared Luke" Brooke whispered as she turned her head to look at her husband.

"Me too pretty girl but it's going to be ok" Lucas assured and tried his best to smile.

Brooke turned her head back over and looked at the door just in time to see Andrea walk in.

"Hey Brooke…I wasn't hoping to see you for another month or so" Andrea looked at Brooke's chart and reached over to the cabinet and pulled out some examination gloves. She helped Brooke roll over on her back and then took a seat at the bottom of the bed.

Brooke looked up at the ceiling and held onto Lucas's hand as Andrea examined her. After Andrea was done she sighed and pulled her gloves off. "Brooke…you're in labor…now we've talked about how this might happen…It's just happening a lot sooner than what I'd like so I'm going to give you some medicine and try and stop the contractions…your water hasn't broken so there's an 85 chance that we can stop your labor"

Brooke nodded blankly "And if you can't stop it?"

Andrea sighed and "We'll just pray that it works"

"Yeah but what if it doesn't?" Lucas asked this time.

"Then you'll have to deliver" Andrea said simply before walking out of the door.

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It was 6 in the morning and Brooke's contractions still hadn't stopped. Lucas had went down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee with Nathan and Haley was sitting with Brooke until they came back.

"This can't happen Haley…I'm only 7 months" Brooke said sadly listening to the rhythmic sound of the baby's monitored heart rate echo through the room.

"It's going to be ok Tigger" Haley rested her hand on Brooke's and squeezed it.

"Would you get me a cup of ice please?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah…absolutely" Haley stood up and walked out of Brooke's room and to the nurse's desk.

Haley heard Brooke's soft cry and she ran back into her room. She found Brooke sitting up and panting as she tried to catch her breath. "Brooke are you ok?"

Brooke shook her head and she looked at Haley with tears in her eyes "My water broke"