I was scared. So scared and lost and lonely. I stood on the steps outside school, wondering where I was supposed to go. I had no family, no friends, no home, no money and I was in a foreign country, all alone.

The school dropped me out immediately. They said that I was encouraging bad behaviour and unless I took care of it on the side, there was no way they would let me live there another night. So, that ended rather quickly. They had further gone ahead to call my parents and inform them about the sticky bind I had got myself into.

I broke down on the stone steps outside the grand Archway that formed the entrance to the school. I was so afraid, my hands were shivering. How was I supposed to handle this? I was sixteen!

The words of my parents rang in my ears, more louder and more menacing each time I thought about it. "If you're not giving up on that boy and those children of his that you are carrying, forget us. If you think you are mature enough to handle motherhood, great, go live off on your own. Ted, block off all her credit cards. Let her make it on her own! That girl spreads her legs for literally anyone! It's like she is a welcome mat! Now look at what she has done! Ruined our names in the process. We don't want anything to do with you. If you continue with this, do not call us." I hadn't even had the chance to explain myself. Where was I supposed to go? WHat was I supposed to do? The house in Tree Hill had been sold off. I could not go to California to be with my parents and I most certainly did not want to live here in London all alone. How would I even afford a ticket to the United States?

I continued my cries. Veronica had given me all the cash she had on her, every single penny, saying that she still had all her plastic privileges. However, our total pool of savings was not enough for anything, especially International Travel.

How could my parents think they had the right to ship me out here and then just leave me stranded and helpless? How could they care so little? Was their ego and pride of whatever the Davis name was, (something I never knew) more important than their child. I was still a child! I was a child having two children of my own. God, what was I thinking? How did I get myself in this mess? What was I going to do? Giving up any semblance of putting on a strong front, I dialled a familiar number, knowing that he would figure out a way to help me out. I knew that he cared enough for me and he would also end up caring enough for the babies I was carrying.

"Hi, it's me,"I began, but quickly broke down on the phone. I found it so hard to get my words out. "I-I, I need help. A big one. I-I messed up and I have been kicked out of school and my parents disowned me. I have no money, no place to go and no way back home. I am stranded and I really need your help. Please can you help me out? Please Nathan? I am so scared. I am so screwed this time. Please, get me home."

He did not ask any questions. He knew that then was not the time.

"Penny, it's okay. I am here. It's okay. Don't worry we will get you home. You do not have to worry. We are there for you. Just breathe. Come on, take a deep breath for me and calm down," he coached me.

Heavy sobs became hiccups but I could still get no words out between the whimpers.

"Brooke, can you get yourself to Heathrow?" Nathan asked me. I could however hear the fear and panic in his voice.

"Uhh. I have enough for a bus," I answered.

"Good. Get on a bus and get to the airport. How long will it take for you to get there?" He further queried, trying really hard to keep his composure.

"About an hour or hour and a half," I replied.

"Good. Just get to the airport and call me when you are there. Don't worry Brooke. I am going to get you home," he promised.

"Thanks Nate," I say before shedding a few more tears. "Also, one more thing. Please don't tell Lucas."

He promised that he wouldn't and asked me to get to the airport as soon as I could. I walked quietly to the bus stop, feeling fatigue and finding it hard to pull all my luggage with me. It was raining. Just as it had all the time that I had been there. It was like the clouds were morning for me as well. The sky mirrored my misery and the despair I felt in the pit of my stomach.

I waited for the bus to come and stared at the Ultrasound picture that Dr. Rhodes had handed me once I had changed into my regular clothes. He had also told me that the kids were a little underdeveloped and that I needed to gain much more weight and eat right. I couldn't believe it though, there they were, very clearly, two foetuses. There was no denying it. It was actually real.

It took a while but finally the bus rumbled and made its way to where I was sitting, my belly showing visibly. The conductor took pity on me and refused to let me lift a single bag.

"A single pregnant lady with so much luggage.. Oh no, you just relax. We will get these for you," he had said to me. A single tear slipped from my eyes as I thanked him, giving him a large tip. I knew I had little, yet that gesture of generosity went a long way for me.

On the way to the airport, I received an email with my flight ticket booked for North Carolina. It was literally in five hours. Waves of relief washed over my body as I finally said to myself that I was on my way back home.

"Het Nathan, I just got to the airport," I said to him once I was inside and waiting to get my luggage boarded. "Thank you so much Nathan. I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

"It's alright Brooke. Haley and Peyton both pitched in as well. You just get back home safely," he said to me.

"What am I going to do once I am back though? I have no money and no house to stay at," I sighed.

"Penny, just get to Tree Hill. I am tracking your flights. I will be there at the airport to pick you up. We will figure everything out once you get back. Just don't worry. Peyton, Haley, Lucas and I are all there for you," he said to me.

"I don't think Lucas wants anything to do with me Hot Shot," I stated the obvious.

"He does still love you, Brooke. He is just really devastated over how things panned out. You did not make it any easier for him, flight being your natural coping mechanism," he explained.

"Well, not this time. I am deepest into the water I have ever been and all I want is to get back home," I laughed.

"You will be here in a few hours and then you can tell me all about it," he answered before ending the call.

The plane rides were fairly uneventful. It was uncomfortable, but I didn't mind it. Finally, I had made it to the Tiny Airport in Tree Hill. It was bright outside so I had my sunglasses on. I saw Nathan and Haley standing together at the arrival gate looking at all the people who were leaving the airport. I knew they were not ready for the shock they were about to receive but I had no choice in the matter.

"Hey guys," I called out to them as I walked towards them pushing the luggage trolley in front of me, trying to hide my little baby bump.

Both of their faces were all smiles when their eyes landed on me. They really seemed so happy to see me.

"I am so glad to see you again," Haley said, running towards me to give me a hug.

Nathan was right by her side as he said, "Let me get that for you."

Both of their eyes immediately fell onto my enlarged belly.

"Surprise!" I said, giving a tiny jazz hand quip.

Both of them stopped dead in their tracks when they realised what that meant.

"Brooke, please tell me that they just fed you way too much out there at boarding school," Nathan begged. Haley hit his shoulder telling him to shut up.

"Oh my God, Tigger! How!?" she asked instead.

"Well, you're Tutor Girl, but when two people love each other…" I began to say, using comedy as a coping mechanism.

"God, I mean… well I actually don't. It's just shocking," she said.

"Does Lucas know?" she continued. "Well, obviously not, otherwise we would have heard about it from him by now."

This comment immediately made me go pale and weak in the knees, something both of them noticed.

"How about we save the rest of the interrogation after we get into the car or maybe after she has had some time to rest up," Nathan suggested as he began walking to the parking lot, pushing the trolley laden with bags in front of him. "You can walk, right?"

"Nate I'm pregnant, not invalid!" I laughed.

"Well, I don't know much about it, so," he defended himself.

"Honestly, neither do I," I answered honestly, letting my guard down a bit.

"Should we take you home, Brooke? To Nathan's?" Haley asked after we all got into the car.

"No, Lucas lives with Nathan! Peyton's perhaps. Just until I figure out income. I'll get a job immediately and pay back all the money I owe you for the plane tickets. I am so sorry," I begin to sob. "Sorry, my hormones are all out of whack. I can't help but cry every five seconds." I hated looking so helpless, but I was in fact, helpless.

"Brooke, don't worry. We love you and we are all here for you," Haley assured.

"So, how is Lucas?" I asked after a couple of minutes. I needed to know what I was about to face soon.

"Bad. Dan is making it hell for him to get emancipated but the final hearing is in 2 days and we all petitioned for him. My dad told the court about Dan's drinking habits and I spoke about the bruises that I had seen before playing ball. Mon recounted the few times Aunt Karen came to the cafe with random cuts and bruises and how she is literally MIA currently," Nathan brought me up to speed. "Lucas got Aunt Karen's consent for emancipation by mail but wont give her up to the court. He misses you Brooke. He is going to be so happy to see you here."

"He is gonna hate me for keeping this from him, Nate. I mean, I am pregnant at sixteen!" I complained.

"How far along are you?" Haley asked.

"About four months," I answered.

"You look so much bigger than that! Must be some healthy kid," she said smilingly.

"Quite the contrary actually," I said and laughed to myself at how British I sounded. Maybe that place had an effect on me after all. "The doctor said that they are a tad bit underdeveloped due to my lack of care. I need to eat more nutritious meals and gain weight."

"Then how come…" she began to ask, but I cut her off.

"The reason my belly is so big is because there are two babies in there," I said, rubbing my swollen belly.

"No way! You're having twins!" Both of them yelled simultaneously.

"Yes, a boy and a girl," I couldn't help but smile when I said that.

"How do you feel?" Nathan asked me.

"Well, morning sickness sucks. It should be over around now, but it is not. I read that sometimes for some women morning sickness continues way beyond the first trimester. I will hate myself if I am one of those women! My feet and back ache as well, but I get by," I replied.

We finally reached Peyton's house and Haley went to call her out while Nathan started to get my bags out of the trunk of the car.

"Brooke!" Peyton yells and runs to the car door the minute Haley tells her that I had arrived. Nathan was already getting busy schlepping my bags up the stairs of the exposed brick house.

"Oh my God!" Peyton yelled as I got out of the car.

"Hi Auntie Pey!" I said, trying to ease the scene.

"Are you really truly pregnant?" she said, already emotional.

"With twins. A boy and a girl," I confirmed.

"Do you want to give me a heart attack so that you can get the house to yourself?" she joked and hugged me.

"As tempting as that sounds, it is the truth," I answered.

"I want in on this hug too!" Haley complained before joining us.

"I will never understand women," Nathan said to himself as he came out to get more bags. "How did you carry all this stuff by yourself Brooke?"

"Eh, felt too numb and scared, did not realise what I was doing at all," I replied honestly.

"Okay, let's get you inside and I will make you something to eat," Haley said to us as we walked into Peyton's living room.

"Yes, I'm starving!" I said as I heard my stomach give a lurch. "A cheeseburger. That's what I want."

"She is not going to be a difficult pregnant lady at all!" Peyton said sarcastically.

"Pey, I am so sorry to just intrude on you like this," I said to her once Haley had gone to the kitchen to fix our meals. "I promise that I will be out of your hair as soon as I can. I just have nowhere else I can be," I said, my eyes were downcast and morose.

"Brooke, don't act ridiculous. You can live with me as long as you like. It is what my parents would want. They hate that I live alone anyway, you know that. This works out better," she said, genuinely meaning it, but I was not convinced.

"You deserve the place with Jake. I am going to take the guest room and if I am not working, I will babysit Jenny for you. I do need practice with kids," I offered.

"Brooke, just relax. I am certain that you are jetlagged. We will get into the nitty gritties of our arrangement later on," she said, hugging me one more time. "When are you going to talk to Lucas?"

"Not until I can help it," I wailed.

"Brooke! You are pregnant with his children!" Peyton yelled at me.

"Yeah yeah, fine. I.'' go over to Nathan's tomorrow and talk to him. Though, I really don't want to. He is going to hate me," I foretold.

"Well, at least you can't really injure a pregnant lady!" Peyton joked.

"Yeah, well a pregnant lady can beat your tiny ass!" I laughed.

Soon Haley called out for us as the cheeseburgers were ready. The three of them watched as I scarfed it down in record time. Then I walked to the freezer and brought out a tub of ice cream. Licking my lips, I felt at peace as I felt the softness and sweetness of my tongue.

"Now if only I can keep it down, I would consider this a pretty good day!" I smiled.

"So are you skipping school tomorrow or will you come with Peyton?" Haley asked me once we were back in the living room.

"No school," I answered a little too quickly for their likes.

"WHat do you mean by no school?" Tutor Girl continued.

"Haley I have two kids on the way and absolutely no money. I can be quite dumb at times but I know a baby costs alot of money, let alone two babies. I am going to go job hunting tomorrow and then talk to Lucas once school is over. I know you guys are terrible at keeping secrets and I need to be the one who tells him this," I pointed out.

"Brooke, that's insane! You cannot just drop out of school!" Haley screamt.

"Sorry Tutor Girlie, but I am all out of choices. I am already in debt. Just please don't make this any harder than it already is. I am already so scared," I said.

"Brooke no!" Haley continued to yell at me. "You will ruin your life and their lives in the future. How can you land a good job without an education?"

"Haley, okay I come to school now. A few months later they are born, what then? I can't afford housing, or a car or food supplies or clothes or furniture. Heck, I will have to by default drop out of school then anyway because I won't even be able to afford daycare!" I yelled back/

Haley grew silent after that, not knowing what was the correct thing to say amongst all the tension we had created amongst ourselves.

"I am just going to lie down, okay. Thank you guys so much for every single thing," I smiled as I excused myself and started walking up the stairs. They would all understand eventually, hopefully. For now, I was just going to take it one day at a time.