I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE ME REVIEWS, ALERT MY STORY, ME AS AN AUTHOR AND OF COURSE PLACED THIS PROJECT AS FAVORITE, ALSO MY ANONYMOUS READERS. SO THANK YOU: DIANE HERMANS, NALEY23ALWAYSFOREVER, GLEE-STARS345, ELLEN7LOVESLIFE, ARUBAGIRL0926, SAPHIRABLUE25, DELPHINE05, SAE264, JELLYBEANTOJAGUAR10, NAYNAY545, JPINK3125, SUJATA77, REDNIDI3, ANNABELLE08, TWEESYGURL199016, SELENEBRENNAN, TRINATIFFANY, CLNINJA96, JUST A BIT TIPSY.
DISCLAIMER: I DON´T OWN ANYTHING ABOUT OTH. IT ALL BELONGS TO MARK SCHWAHNN, THE CW, WARNER AND TOLLINS - ROBBINS.
I DON´T EVEN OWN THE SONG THAT BELONGS TO NICK LACHEY, AND HIS RECORD COMPANY.
HERE IT IS... ENJOY AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW, THAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE ME.
Chapter 28
10 minutes after he finished talking with Gavin, he remembered he still haven´t called Brooke to let her know that Ben got there safe so since he didn´t have her number, he first called his mom, she wasn´t home.
Then he called Haley that fortunately she was home and gave him the number of Brooke.
He dialled the number of Brooke´s cell phone, waited a few rings until he heard the sound of someone picking up and saying...
"Hello..." Brooke said
"Hi Brooke." Lucas answered.
"Lucas!. Is everything ok?" She asked with a touch of concern.
"Yes, Brooke. Relax." He said trying to ease her fears.
"Is it Ben?" She asked again her concern still evident.
"That is exactly what I wanted to talk." Lucas said.
"What happened to my son, Lucas?" Brooke asked her concern raising to alarming levels.
"Relax, he is ok. I just wanted to talk to you to let you know that he got here
fine." He said again easing her.
"Ahhhhh . You scared me for a moment." Brooke said breathing a sight of relieve.
"Sorry it wasn´t my intention." . Lucas apologized.
"Well you can´t do that to a single a mother." She scorned him.
"Again sorry it wasn´t my intention." He apologized again.
"Did you go to pick him up?" Brooke asked.
"No" Lucas answered.
"Why not?" Brooke asked.
"Because If I went there, an airport full of people , trust me we would still be there and there would be a pic of Ben and me from here to Timbactu. Would you like that?" Lucas explained and asked.
"No, so who went to pick him up?" Brooke responded and asked again.
"My choffer, Marco." Lucas answered.
"How did you see him when he arrived?" Brooke asked with concern seeping thru her voice again.
"I see him just fine." Lucas affirmed.
"Was he tired?" She asked.
"Brooke ... of course , he had a non direct 12 hour flight. He wouldn´t be human if he wasn´t tired". Lucas stated while he laughed.
"Yes you are right." Brooke conceded.
"Exactly." Lucas said.
"I can´t help to worry. He is my baby.". Brooke said.
"I know he is but he is going to be fine.". He stated.
"I know that.". She said.
"I will not be his father but I will take care of him the best way I can.". Lucas promised.
"I know, that is why I let him go. If you weren´t there, he will not be going.". Brooke said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence.". He said.
"It´s true.". She stated.
"Thanks, I really appreciate it.". Lucas said it with a hint of gratitude in his voice.
"What is he doing now?". Brooke asked.
"I just left him in the room I chose for him.". He said.
"How was his reaction?" She asked.
Lucas: "He was surprised of how big the room was but he bitched a bit about the fact
that the room doesn´t have a tv ". Lucas said letting a little laugh come out.
"That is my Ben." . Brooke said laughing.
"I told him that he has a floor to ceiling TV downstairs in the movie theater room." Lucas explained.
"What did he do when you told him that?" Brooke asked surprised.
"His mood definitely improved." He said laughing.
"Did he said anything more?" She asked laughing.
"Yes." Lucas stated.
"What?" Brooke asked.
"That his wardrobe was just as big as the one you had on the penthouse in NY." He said recalling moment in his mind.
"That big?" Brooke asked again, the surprise returning to her tone of voice.
"When I bought where I live, every wardrobe were walk in ones. What can I do?". Lucas explained.
"Nothing." Brooke said laughing.
"You know what ..." He said.
"What?" She asked.
"You and Ben have the same kind of laugh." Lucas stated.
"Really?" Brooke asked.
"Really." Lucas stated again.
"I never notice." She said.
"Well you do and I always loved it." He said.
"Thanks." Brooke thanked him.
"You are welcome. By the way as soon as Ben finish unpacking I will tell him to call you." Lucas said not forgetting about his duties.
"Please." Brooke said.
"Don´t worry." Lucas said.
"Thanks." Brooke thanked him.
"Don´t mention." Lucas said.
"Thanks for calling and let me know he got there fine." Brooke thanked him once more.
"It was my pleasure and my obligation if I´m going to take care of your kid for as long as he wants to stay." He said.
"Ok.". Brooke said but a part of her wanted to scream into the telephone "our kid" but the scared part of her took control and prevented her from doing it that.
"Well Brooke, we will be in touch. Take care." Lucas said being friendly.
"Yes of course. You too." She answered back.
Both hanging the phone at the same instant, Lucas pleased on how the conversation went and Brooke sad that the scared part of her prevented from telling him the truth but at the same time the rational part of her whispered that she should tell him in person.
~X~X~X~X~
Nathan now with the all clear from the doctor decided to dedicate more hours to his coaching job with Skills so when he said this to Haley, she didn´t complain but she joined him today to talk to the other coach about what he can or can´t do just to be on the safe side.
He tried to convince his wife not to do that but to no avail so both entered the gym where Skills was already organizing all the stuff for practice today.
"Hey Skills..." Nathan said.
"Nate, my men..." Skills greeted him.
"Hi Skills." Haley greeted him too.
"Hi Haley. What are you doing here? Come to see the practice." Skills asked.
"I´m here to talk to you." She said.
"Really? " He asked looking at Nathan.
"Really." Haley said.
"What about?" Skills asked.
"Haley please don´t ." Nathan asked.
"Nate, honey yes." Haley said.
"Wow, must be serious for you two to be acting like this." Skills stated.
"Yes it is." Haley said.
"Then talk girl." Skills said.
"Since the doctor gave the all clear to Nathan..." Haley started talking.
"Seriously? " Skills asked looking directly at Nathan again.
"Yeah." He said.
Skills: "Congrats men" Skills said while he hugged Nathan.
"Thanks" Nathan said returning the hug.
"As I was saying that the doctor gave him the all clear, he can come here full time but there are certain prohibitions that the physician told us..." Haley continued.
"Which are?" Skills asked.
"Nothing of exhausting activities or any activity that involve heavy lifting for a couple of months." Haley explained.
"Ok". Skills said.
"That includes lifting kids, bags of balls, weights, persons, you named it he can´t do it." Haley continued.
"Hales, you are babying me." Nathan said not happy with what Haley was doing..
"No, I´m taking care of you because I love you." Haley explained Nathan.
"No Nathan, she is right. How many months?." Skills said taking Haley´s side and asking.
"Four to Five months at least." Haley stated.
"Ok. Don´t worry he won´t do any of that in here." Skills promised to Haley.
"Thanks Skills." Haley thanked him.
"Nah don´t mention." He said.
"Because If I found out that he is doing it ... I will come here and kick your ass!. Is that understood Skills?" Haley told Skills.
"Yes, don´t worry."- Skills said.
"Ok. I´m off." Haley said.
"Bye Haley." Skills said.
"Bye Nate, Have fun. I love you." Haley said goodbye to her husband kissing him.
"Bye Hales, I love you too." Nathan said returning the kiss.
Haley left the gym happy that she got her point across thru Skills and now she went to her classroom to do some work.
"Damn, Hales is scary sometimes." Skills stated.
"Yeah tell me about it, I have to live with her everyday. Trust me you don´t want to upset her." Nathan also stated.
"Let´s go to work." Skills said.
"Yeah." Nathan mumbled.
~X~X~X~X~
Lucas was in his study working on organizing a few ideas he had to see if a new book can come out of that mess he called brainstorming, when a sweet voice distracted him from his thing.
That sweet voice was no other than her girlfriend Lindsay so he said...
"Hey babe..." Lucas said taking his eyes of the computer screen.
"Hey..." Lindsay said.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I had a bit of a free time and decided to check my gorgeous boyfriend." Lindsay explained.
"I think you got the wrong house". Lucas said laughing a bit.
"You think?". Lindsay asked laughing too and continuing with what Lucas was doing.
"I do " Lucas said continuing laughing.
"Well I don´t because my boyfriend is a very talented and successful writer with a mansion just like this and in the same part of London." She stated.
"You got me there, well played" He stated laughing still.
"I know." Lindsay said.
"Come" Lucas said signalizing to come near him.
"Hi again" Lindsay said, reaching his side and kissing him.
"Come, sit on top of me." Lucas said returning the kiss.
"Are you sure?" Lindsay asked.
"Yes." He stated.
"Ok. What are you working?" She said sitting on his lap and asking.
"That is for me to know and for you to find out in due time." Lucas said turning off the monitor.
"Come on tell me." Lindsay said with a pleading voice.
"Who is asking me that the editor? or my girlfriend?." Lucas asked.
"There is not a correct answer right?" Lindsay asked.
"No." Lucas said.
"Ok." Lindsay said laughing.
"Good." He said laughing too.
"I also come to ask you if you are going with me to my sister birthday party this weekend." Lindsay said.
"This weekend?" Lucas asked.
"Yes." She stated.
"Can I bring someone?" He asked.
"Who? Do you have another girlfriend that I don´t know?" Lindsay asked while she laughed.
"No silly." Lucas said laughing.
"So who?" Lindsay asked.
In that moment, like Lucas would have called him with his mind, Ben appeared on the door of his study knocking on the wood frame...
"Him." Lucas said pointing towards Ben that was at the door.
"Who is him?" Lindsay asked, looking at where Lucas was pointing.
"I was going to introduce to him right after we finish our talk but
I think he beat me to the punch." Lucas said laughing.
"Looks like it." Lindsay said.
"Ben come on in... Linds, He is Ben... he is the son of a dear friend and a person that my mom considers like a daughter.
Ben, this is my girlfriend / Editor Lindsay." Lucas did the introductions.
"Nice to meet you Ben" Lindsay said standing up to shake his hands.
"Yeah the same." Ben said returning the hand shake, trying to be polite but not caring.
"He is going to stay here all the time that he wants since he wants to experience the whole study abroad thing." Lucas stated.
"Ohhh cool idea. It´s a good experience!." Lindsay said.
"Yeah I think the same thing." Ben said.
Lindsay: "Ok." Lindsay said.
"Lucas?" Ben asked.
"Yes..." Lucas said.
"I came here to ask you if you could give me pointers on how to reach the movie theater room." Ben said
"Yes of course. Did you talk to your mom today?" Lucas said and asked.
"Yes. She was happy that I called two days in a row." Ben said laughing.
"Well that is Brooke." Lucas said laughing too.
"Directions please?" Ben asked, wanting to leave the room.
"Yes. Go straight until the first corridor. Wait I will show you until you get practice." Lucas said thinking
"Ok." Ben said.
"Lindsay, wait for me here that I will show him the movie theater room and I will be right back" Lucas said leaving the room with Ben in a tow.
"Ok." Lindsay.
~X~X~X~X~
Brooke got to her house to have lunch and the moment she entered found a person hugging her from her behind, she was about to pull a kung fu move when she realized that it was Jason...
"Hey Brookie!" Jason said with a tinge of happiness in his voice.
"Hey Jason, you are here." Brooke said equally happy and hugging him.
"Yes." He said.
"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked.
"I came to see you." Jason answered.
"Ok. Did you come alone?" Brooke once again asked.
"No." He answered.
"Then where is your girlfriend and my best friend Rachel?" Brooke asked again.
"She is..." Jason said but he was cut off.
In that moment Rachel emerges from one of the rooms...
"I´m here!." Rachel said.
"Rachel!" Brooke said with a smile on her face.
"I missed you this time." Rachel said while she hugged her.
"Me too. I thought that you still have a few days in NY." Brooke said.
"I had but I finished all that I had to do in the company in a day and Jason did the same thing so we came early." Rachel explained.
"Great." She said.
"Plus I know that when we said goodbye to Ben, you weren´t in the best of moods." Rachel kept explaining.
"Yeah." Brooke said in a somber tone.
"So I needed to be here to comfort my friend." Rachel finished saying.
"And since I feel bad that I couldn´t be here to say goodbye to him, I decided to come here with Rach to be with you." Jason explained.
"Thanks guys, you, my other friends and Ben mean the world to me." Brooke said with a tone of gratitude in her voice.
"I know Brookie. You besides Jason are the only family I have." Rachel said matching the gratitude in Brooke´s voice.
"I feel the same way Rach." Brooke said.
"Girls, what do you want to eat so I can start doing it and you chat?" Jason asked.
"Don´t know make something tasty." Brooke responded.
"I agree with Brooke." Rachel said.
"Ok, something tasty coming up." Jason said leaving the room and heading to the kitchen.
"So how are you?" Rachel asked.
"Sad, I miss him." Brooke said.
"Normally, I miss him too. It´s weird after seeing him grow up literally to not having him here now." Rachel stated.
"The other day I went to see Karen to talk about it and to give me some
pointers since she went thru this with Lucas." Brooke said.
"How that went?" Rachel asked.
"It went ok and she confessed that the only reason that she didn´t kill me back then was that she loved me like that daughter." Brooke said.
"Really? She said that?." Rachel asked again with a surprise tone in her voice.
"She did." Brooke said laughing a bit.
"Look at that." Rachel said surprised.
"Yeah but it really helped what she told me." Brooke stated.
"Well if it helped. So any news about the munchkin?" Rachel said and asked.
"Yes, he called me to let me know that he arrived." Brooke said.
"When?" Rachel asked.
"Yesterday when you were in NY." Brooke said thinking.
"What did he say?" Rachel asked eager to know news about her godson.
"That he got there fine, that he has a big room and that Lucas´s house is huge." Brooke said, trying to remember everything that he told her.
"Well thank god that he is fine." Rachel said, relief not escaping her voice.
"He also called me today when I was in the C/B shop." Brooke said.
"Great!." Rachel said happily.
"We Skype for a little bit." Brooke let her know.
"What did he tell you?" Rachel asked.
"That he spent yesterday resting, talking with his cousin on Skype and reading a book." Brooke told her everything that his godson did.
"Look like he is having fun." Rachel said.
"It appears." Brooke said with ease in her voice.
"Next time you talk to him, let him know that he calls his aunt." Rachel said sternly to Brooke.
"Are you jealous?" Brooke asked laughing a bit.
"No. You are his mother and its logical that he calls you more times but hey auntie here needs some love too." Rachel stated in all her seriousness.
"I will tell him. Do you know who else called yesterday?" Brooke said laughing and asked.
"Who?" Rachel asked.
"Lucas." Brooke stated.
"Get out!. For real?" Rachel asked practically yelling and not containing her surprise.
"Yes." Brooke said.
"What did he want?" Rachel asked, anxious to know how that conversation went.
"He called first and wanted to let me know that Ben got there safe." Brooke said letting her know what they talk about .
"Go Lucas!. How did the conversation go?" Rachel said excited and asked.
"It went well, like two old friends talking." Brooke stated.
"Well you always started as friends before getting to the romantical part." Rachel stated.
"Rach!." Brooke yelled.
"It´s true!." Rachel said.
"He told me that Ben and I share the same kind of laugh." Brooke said remembering what Lucas said.
"I didn´t think about that but now that I thought about it, he is right." Rachel said thinking.
"And that he loved it." Brooke said.
"Wait! what does he love?" Rachel said again raising her voice and asking.
"Our laugh." Brooke said.
"Ahh ok. There is your starting point." Rachel said laughing.
"Rach! (hitting her slightly on the arm)." Brooke said hitting Rachel´s arm slighty.
~X~X~X~X~
It was night, Lucas was sitting in the living room in front of the fireplace reading a book when a voice startled him ...
"Hi Lucas" Ben said.
"Ben, you scared the hell out of me." Lucas said.
"Sorry." Ben apologize.
"Excuse me. I have to get used to not be alone here." Lucas said laughing.
"It´s ok. You will never be alone." Ben laughing too.
"You think?" Lucas asked.
"I know." Ben said.
"Come sit with me" Lucas said gesturing to the sit next to him.
"Ok" He said walking towards the couch and sat next to him.
"What do you need kid?" Lucas asked.
"Can I ask you something?" Ben asked.
"Sure Ben, anything that you want." Lucas stated.
"Ok. " Ben said.
"So..." Lucas said encouraging Ben to talk.
"I don´t know how to start..." He said with honesty.
"Start from the beginning, I don´t bite." Lucas said ruffling Ben´s hair while he laughed a bit.
"Ok. Why is it that there is no pictures of my mother here? or anyone with your friends?" Ben asked.
"Ohhh that where the thing came. That is what you wanted to know." Lucas said while laughing.
"Yes." Ben said.
"I will tell you but it´s a long story. Do you want to know it?" Lucas said and asked.
"Yes, I have time." Ben stated.
"Yes you do. Ok, get comfortable." Lucas said.
"I´m ready." Ben said moving in his spot.
"Remember that I told you that you mother and I dated twice and that we didn´t broke up in good terms..." Lucas said.
"Yes, I remember." Ben said.
"Well that was part of the reason." Lucas said.
"And the other part?" Ben asked.
"You really want to know..." Lucas said.
"Yes I do." Ben said but he already knew the part that his mom told him but he wanted to know his father version.
"You are relentless, aren´t you?" Lucas said and asked.
"Yes." He said with determination in his voice.
"Ok. I could have easily stayed in Tree Hill after Brooke and I broke up and I tried to win her back and didn´t work out but the situation and not having her by my side hurted like a bitch plus the prospect of seeing her with another men was unbearable so I came here to finish high school and if things weren´t good yet I would stay for the university.
So stayed here." Lucas started.
"And..." Ben said now encouraging Lucas to talk.
"And I even though I was here, millions of miles apart from her, I was still suffering and heartbroken from not having her..." Lucas continued.
"But you are not telling me why there isn´t photos." Ben said.
"Patience, we will get there." Lucas said.
"Ok." Ben said.
"While I lived with the Harris Family, I had photos of her and my friends in the room I shared with Gavin but like I said the pain didn´t go away. It was agony...to the point that my roommate convinced me one night to go out with his friends and I did." Lucas said.
"Did you have fun?" Ben asked.
"If you can call fun being carried by two guys because I was too wasted to walk
fun, then I had fun." Lucas said while laughing.
"Really?" Ben asked again.
"Really but I also learned thanks to Gavin that told me that I was a very emotional drunk." Lucas stated.
"Why? Did you cry?" Ben asked once more.
"No but I spent the entire night talking about your mom, asking why did she leave me and asking for her." Lucas said with honesty.
"No..." Ben said surprised.
"Yes but that taught me something." Lucas stated.
"What?" Ben asked curious.
"That for as long as I was drunk and riding the hangover the pain that I felt for lossing her backed away, like I was numb and that made me feel good." Lucas said.
"But that is no way to deal with stuff because when that effect finish, the pain will be back right?" Ben stated and asked.
"Exactly, the pain will always come back especially I had the pictures there. It was so profound like someone ripping my heart in two.
So back in the day I wanted that numb feeling to last longer so I started to party more with Gavin and that meant get wasted pretty much every day or weekend.
Until he came out with several ideas or formulas to get over your mom because it wasn´t fun to be around when I was wasted." Lucas continued.
"What formulas?" Ben asked.
"Trust me, you don´t want to know." Lucas stated.
"Please..." Ben begged.
"No." Lucas said firmly.
"Ohhhh ok." Ben said not very happy.
"He came with the whole dissapearing of the photos as way to see if that worked." Lucas said.
"Did it?" Ben asked.
"Well it helped a bit ..." Lucas said while laughing.
"Why that sounds like there is something you are not telling me?" Ben asked.
"Because there is." Lucas said.
"Tell me." Ben said.
"I told you that it helped a bit because combined with the two of us still getting wasted on regular basis and adding to the fact that we were now in the university, living the two alone away from London in an enviroment full of girls. I was like Gavin once described as a manwhore." Lucas told him while he laughed.
"WHAT?!" Ben asked almost shouting, surprised by this revelation.
"You heard me. I had a girl for every day of the week and I was rarely
waking up alone." Lucas said while laughing.
"How did you manage to remember all the names?" Ben asked.
"Well that was tricky at first but later you start to develop a system but living like that I felt the pain lessen and I would do anything in that time to keep it that way. I even drove and still drive from time to time a motorcycle." Lucas said.
"You have a motorcycle?" Ben asked again.
"I have several in the garage, I will show you tomorrow." Lucas stated.
"Awesome." Ben said.
"Everything that involved a risk, I was in and it was also the time I started to wear a beard." Lucas said.
"What kind of risk?" Ben asked curious again.
"Bar fights, Bets, you named I was in. I woked up several days with black eyes. One time I went to pick up my mom and thanks to bet and a bar fight I was bold and with a black eye." Lucas recalled not avoiding the laugh that escaped his lips.
"Really?" Ben asked surprised to no end by all the things Lucas told so far
"Really." Lucas stated.
"What did Karen said?" Ben asked.
"She nagged the hell out of me and told me to get it together and straighten my life or she will take me back to Tree Hill." Lucas said.
"What did you do?" Bem asked again.
"I didn´t listen." Lucas said.
"How long did you live like that?" Ben asked.
"Until I got the offer for my first book." Lucas stated.
"Because they wanted a serious person right?" Ben asked again.
"Exactly Ben plus I realized that my mom was right, I couldn´t continue to live like that if I wanted to have a lasting career as an author." Lucas said.
"So you straighten ..." Ben said.
"I did. " He said.
"Awesome." Ben said.
"After I won my first million, I realized that I couldn´t live with Gavin anymore so I found this house and I bought it and I had the same policy no photos but..." Lucas said.
"The pain came back..." Ben said
"The pain never left" Lucas said with sad voice.
"So all of this, it´s because of my mom." Ben said with wonder in his voice.
"Brooke was my first everything, my first woman, my first love, that love that burns up in you like a need so like Gavin said to me once, you never forgive your first love." Lucas said.
"Do you still love my mom?" Ben asked hoping for a positive response.
"I will always love her like I said, you never forget your first love. But I can´t be stopped in past anymore, I lived there for 15 years and It´s time to move on." Lucas said.
"So that is why you are with Lindsay?" Ben asked.
"Yes." Lucas said.
"Do you love her like you love my mom?" Ben asked.
"I care for her, Lindsay brought back something that I haven´t felt in a long
time..." Lucas said.
"Which is?" Ben asked once more.
"Happiness and to answer your previous question, I will never love any other women like I loved Brooke. The love we shared was unique and special. " Lucas stated.
"What did you do with the photos?" Ben asked.
"I have them on a box in the garage and I kept one in a drawer of my desk that is closed with a key." Lucas said.
"What kind of picture?" Ben asked.
"There are days I get nostalgic so I took it and watch it. It was a photo of Brooke and Me when we were dating and in love." Lucas said.
"How do you feel?" Ben asked.
"I feel a bit of pain and saddness of what could have being and it wasn´t." Lucas stated.
"What was that?" Ben asked.
"Do you really want to know?" Lucas asked.
"Yes." Ben said.
"I always dreamed that Brooke and I would ended up together, living in a house with a red door and having three kids, two boys and girl." Lucas said
"That is beautiful." Ben said.
"Can we please stop talking about this? Plus I already told you everything." Lucas asked.
"Yes, it´s not my intention to make you feel like that again." Ben said.
"I know but talking about this, it doesn´t lead to anywhere. What done is done, we need to stop looking into the past and look straight to the present." Lucas stated.
"I agree." Ben said.
"Plus you and I need to get up early to go talk to the school so I can enrole you for next course." Lucas said.
"Ok. I was getting sleepy." Ben said.
"Me too. Let´s go to sleep." Lucas said.
~X~X~X~X~
A few months passed, Ben would call her mother every day and half or two days if he was too busy but he never missed a week.
C/B in Tree Hill continue to do well although still didn´t find a person who can help Brooke with it so Rachel went back and forwards between NY and the town. When Rachel couldn´t be there, Haley, Karen or Lilly with the approval of the last one would help her.
Brooke was cooking dinner while Rachel was sitting on the other side of the kitchen isle and they were talking about various subjects until the red headed decided to bite the bullet and let the holidays theme come out ...
"Hey Brooke..." Rachel said.
"Yeah." Brooke said.
"What are we going to do for the holidays?" Rachel asked.
"What holidays?" Brooke said completely oblivious and focusing on the cooking.
"Duh! Christmas and New Years." Rachel said.
"Is that time of year already?" Brooke asked.
"Yes." Rachel said.
"Well I don´t know because this year Ben is not around so I don´t know ." Brooke stated.
"I know that his not around and it´s going to be sad and ugly the holidays
season ..." Rachel said.
"Yes it´s going to be awful." Brooke said.
"But still we have to celebrate it somewhere and somehow because we can´t lock ourself in the house" Rachel said while laughing.
"Yes, you are right about that." Brooke said.
"So what are we going to do?" Rachel asked.
"I don´t know Rach. What did you have in mind?" Brooke said and asked Rachel.
Rachel: "Not much, is not like we have tons of options right? (laughing)."
"Right." Brooke said laughing.
"So? We could go to NY or we can celebrate here like last year. What do you think?" Rachel said and asked.
"I don´t feel NY this year." Brooke said.
"So we celebrate here then." Rachel stated.
"Probably." Brooke said.
"I will tell Jason to come over here." Rachel said.
"I will ask Karen, Lilly and Naley if they want to come and we can celebrate
together." Brooke said.
"Ok. Do that." Rachel said.
"Now let´s eat." Brooke said while she passed Rachel the plate with food.
~X~X~X~X~
It was night time at the Naley house, they already ate dinner and got Sophia to bed since Jamie was out with his friends.
Nathan and Haley got to bed too, this last one was reading a magazine while Nathan was finishing watching sports center until he said...
"Hey Hales..." Nathan said.
"Yes.." She answered taking her eyes of the magazine.
"It´s being months since I got the OK from the doctor about my surgery ..." Nathan said,
"And?" Haley said.
"And one kid is out and the other is sleeping." Nathan said turning around and starting to slowly kiss her neck.
"What are you implying?" Haley asked laughing a bit
"I´m implying that why don´t we have a little playtime ourselves?" He said with an question
"Ummmm, I thinking the idea not sold on it yet." Haley said playing him along.
"I can help you, I´m good at sales" Nathan said now on top of her and start kissing the exposed skin from her chest.
"You will have to do better than that." Haley stated.
"I see. What about this?" He asked now his hand slowly ascending from her legs.
"Good Sale tactic." She stated.
"So what do you say?" He asked.
Haley: "Ok. I´m sold." She said.
"That is what I though." Nathan said grabbing Haley´s magazine and putting it on the night stand.
He started kissing Haley with so much passion and want from all this time deprived and she reciprocated until a scream broke the atmosphere.
The scream came from Sophia calling for his mother...
"Wait for me Nate, when I come back we continue." Haley said.
"Don´t take long." Nathan said feeling frustated.
"I won´t." She said,
An hour later when Haley came back from Sophia´s room, after waiting for her to go to sleep again after the nightmare she had, she found Nathan fast asleep so she slided into bed and went to sleep too.
~X~X~X~X~
After they finished eating they went to the living room, sat on the couch and watched TV but in Rachel´s mind the talk about where to spend the holidays kept ringing in head like a bull who only see red on the road so she decided to tell Brooke the idea that formed in her brain half an hour ago.
"Hey Brooke..." Rachel said.
"Yeah..." Brooke responded not tearing her eyes from the TV Screen.
"I was thinking ..." Rachel said.
"Do you think? " Brooke asked faking a surprise.
"Hey" Rachel said slightly offended and hitting her arm.
"Sorry, I was joking." Brooke said laughing.
"Ok." She said laughing too.
"What were you thinking?" Brooke asked.
"I was thinking about the holidays." Rachel said.
"What about it? Do you want to invite more people?" Brooke asked.
"No" Rachel stated.
"I don´t have a problem." Brooke said quick to answer.
"Would you let me talk?" Rachel asked.
"Ok, talk." She said.
"I was thinking that why don´t you go to London to spend the holidays with
Ben and Lucas?" Rachel said finishing the statement with a question.
"What?! Are you out of your mind?" Brooke asked surprise thinking her best friend was insane.
"No and Why not?" Rachel answered and asked again.
"I can´t go to a stranger house without letting them know..." Brooke stated.
"He is not a stranger you have history and son." Rachel said.
"And without getting invited too." Brooke said.
"Like I said... you don´t need invitation, you are the mother of her son for pete´s sake." Rachel stated now vigorously.
"I won´t leave you alone." Brooke said.
"Stop worrying about me. I can go to NY with Jason." Rachel said.
"No, I will not leave you alone and like I said I do not like to go somewhere when I´m not invited." Brooke said.
"Again, you don´t need invitation because your son lives there, second it´s his
father´s house and for that reasons you are allowed to go there anytime you want without warning." Rachel said.
"I´m not sure Rach." Brooke said doubtful.
"Trust I know about this, you deserve to spend the holidays with him." Rachel assured her.
"You, Jason and the rest of the people here are too my family." Brooke said.
"We know that and we love you for that but I think it´s time that you experience a holiday with your real family that is the men you love, and your son." Rachel said.
"But..." Brooke tried to protest.
"Don´t deny me that you love him because I swear that you won´t live to see
Christmas." Rachel said getting a bit aggresive.
"I won´t deny it . What got you so aggressive today?" Brooke said and asked.
"I don´t know. I think it´s time for you to start getting what you deserve or go
after it." Rachel said.
"Thanks Rach." Brooke said.
"Get your family together." Rachel encouraged her.
"I will think about it." Brooke said.
~X~X~X~X~
It was the middle of the afternoon, the house was quiet, the only two people in were Haley and Nathan.
One was on the couch watching SportsCenter and the other one was finishing some stuff on the kitchen isle until Nathan said...
"Hales, finish everything that you are doing there and come sit with me on the couch so we can spend quality time together before the kids arrive and start screaming for us." Nathan said.
"Ok I´m coming" She said walking towards the couch and sitting.
"I like this and missed this." Nathan said hugging her.
"Me too." Haley said putting her head on his shoulder.
"I really like that you feel that way" He said kissing her head.
"Are we going to watch SportsCenter?" Haley asked.
"Umm Yeah." Nathan said.
"Can we watch something more romantical?" Haley asked.
"Like what?" Nathan asked.
"A movie perhaps." Haley said.
"Ok you can choose" Nathan said giving her the remote.
"Thanks sweetie." Haley said grabbing it from his hand.
10 minutes later they found a movie to watch and they stayed hugging eachother on the couch.
About half way thru the movie, they started a kissing session on the couch that became a very hot and heavy one, very fast.
They were about to have sex on the couch when they heard a scream...
"Oh My God, for the love of all that is holy, put back the clothes. They are minors who live here." Jamie said with shock and covering his eyes.
Nathan and Haley seeing that it was Jamie, they hurriedly put all the clothes back ...
"I thought the house was empty." Nathan said.
"I´m blind after seeing that I need a doctor and dog to help me walk." Jamie said being a bit dramatic.
"Don´t be such a baby. How do you think you came to this world?" Nathan said and asked while a laugh escaped his body.
"My god I don´t want to know that, it´s disgusting." Jamie said.
"Well that is how babies are made." Nathan said still laughing.
"My god this is a family house, there are plenty of rooms to do that." Jamie said with an angry tone of voice.
"The house was empty and what were you doing an hour earlier?" Nathan said and asked.
"So not the point, my god that image is forever imprinted in my head... please please take it away. Yuck!." Jamie said with a disgusted face.
"Come on, you are probably not the first who walks on their parents almost having sex." Nathan stated.
"Ewwwwww please do not remind me of what you were doing because I want to erase that image. You are two grown people, please control your hormones." Jamie said closing his eyes and saying erase while slighty hitting his head.
"We should be telling you that." Nathan said.
"Didn´t you guys stopped to think that instead of me was Sophia?. Do you want to scare her for life?" Jamie asked.
"No." Nathan said.
"Seen what I have seen, I´m beyond repair but her..." Jamie said grabbing his head.
"You are being a drama queen like your mother. Stop reacting like that, I´ll bet
you do the same without telling us." Nathan said.
"I..." Jamie started saying but was cut off.
"At least your mom and I are married (laughing a bit)" Nathan said laughing a bit.
"You two knock it off." Haley said in a more demanding tone of voice.
"Your son is the one over reacting." Nathan explained.
Haley: "Nathan shhhh... Jamie son, I´m sorry you have to see that ..." Haley said.
"Thank you mom." Jamie said.
"I won´t happen again." Haley stated.
"Hales ..." Nathan start saying but he got cut off.
"And you were right, we should have being more careful about it." Haley said.
"Finally the voice of reason." Jamie said.
"But like I said that ... I will also said that you as a son, you can´t talk to us like
that until we are old and grey. Do not over react about this because it´s a natural thing.
Now do you want something to eat?" Haley said and asked laughing a bit.
"I´m sorry mom for over reacting and yes I want something to eat." Jamie said.
~X~X~X~X~
Lucas and Gavin were having their monthly meeting in their restaurant, they were eating and chatting until Lucas´s Cell phone started ringing so he grabbed it from the inside of his jeans and pressed to respond...
"Hello." Lucas said.
"Lucas Scott?" The girl asked.
"Yes, this is him." Lucas said.
"Hi, we are talking from the Westminster City School, we wanted to talk to you..." The girl said.
"About?" Lucas asked.
"Just to inform you that Ben Davis has suffered an accident in Basketball training today and he was rushed to the hospital." The girl said.
"What?" Lucas asked with concern.
"Yes, he had an accident in basketball and was rushed to the hospital just as cautionary measure." The girl said.
"What hospital?" Lucas asked his face showing how worry he was.
"St. Thomas´s Hospital." The girl said.
"Do you know the direction?" Lucas asked.
"It´s on Westminster Bridge Road." The girl said.
"Do you have the number?" Lucas asked again.
"It´s easy to spot because it´s the first building next to the bridge." The girl said.
"Do you know what happened to him besides it was an accident?" Lucas asked once more.
"No Sir, I´m sorry." The girl said.
"Thanks for letting me know." Lucas said.
"It´s our obligation" The girl said hanging the phone.
"Again thanks." Lucas said hanging the phone too.
"What happened?" Gavin asked.
"Ben had an accident during basketball practice and he was rushed to the hospital." Lucas explained.
"Damn I´m going with you and I´m driving." Gavin said.
"Thanks Gav, I don´t think I can drive. I´m so worry." Lucas said.
"Don´t worry, it´s probably nothing of importance. C'mon let´s go." Gavin tried to ease Lucas´s mind.
They both took off for the hospital in a rush, grabbing Gavin´s car since he was driving. All the way there Gavin tried to calm him down because he was really worried.
Once they got there, Lucas rushed to the information table asking for Ben, he was told to go to the waiting room on the second floor that a doctor would be there soon.
In fact not long after both of them got there a doctor came ...
"Relatives for Ben Davis?" The doctor asked.
"I am." Lucas said.
"What connection do you have with him?" The doctor asked.
"I´m his legal tutor in the UK." Lucas explained.
"Ok, just checking." The doctor said.
"No problem. What is wrong with him?" Lucas said and asked.
"Ben just suffered a broken arm due to a bad fall on the basketball practice. The school brought him here as a precaution measure." The doctor said.
"Ohhh thank god." Lucas said.
"You can come in and see him. He is in room 32, down the hall." The doctor said.
"Ok Dr. Thanks." Lucas said.
"Don´t mention. It´s my job." The doctor said.
Minutes later, they were entering the room where Ben was laying down on the bed, with a cast that covered the arm from the elbow all the way down to the hand leaving the fingers free.
After seeing that Gavin says ...
"See Lucas, I told you it was nothing. Hi Ben." Gavin said.
"Hi Gavin." Ben said.
"Thank god Gavin, it was nothing. Ben I got really scared." Lucas said.
"Yes, he was." Gavin affirmed what Lucas said.
"Yeah me too for a moment." Ben confessed.
"I was scared because I love you kid like a son and I was also scared of what I was going to tell your mom." Lucas said kissing his head.
"Well you can tell her that he will look good with the cast." Gavin said.
"You are right. Ben you will look good with the cast on Christmas." Lucas said laughing.
"You think?." Ben asked laughing.
A while later, they all left the hospital with the prescription for pain meds just in case he needs them, went to pick Lucas´s car and returned home.