Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storylines, and don't claim any ownership.

Hello my loyal readers, I know it's been so long since I updated, and this isn't the chapter I had built up in my head, but I hope you still enjoy it.

Anything written in Italics is a flashback, so there isn't any confusion .


"What's going on"?

Brooke knew instantly what Lucas was talking about, she didn't need him to clarify, she had eyes—and they worked. In the front of the courtroom was arguing, between her lawyer, and Julian's—she couldn't hear what they were saying, at first, but the closer she walked, the more clear it became.

"This is unacceptable," Brooke's lawyer said, looking at the judge. "This hearing has been postponed three different times, for their convenience—why should we do it a fourth time? Maybe if he can't make time for a few hours in a day, maybe he shouldn't have custody—period, it saves me a lot of breath in this argument".

Brooke looked at Lucas and Peyton, who was eavesdropping the best they could as well. But, each looked impressed by her lawyer, which eased her mind just slightly.

"I'm afraid I agree," the judge told Julian's lawyer. "If your client isn't here within the next twenty minutes—perhaps Mr. Conley proves a point, if he can't be here to fight for his children, he shouldn't have them".

"Your honor—" Julian's lawyer began.

"My decision is final—twenty minutes—no more".

Julian's lawyer looked agitated, but he nodded, storming out, pushing past the three that stood near the front—nearly knocking Peyton off her feet.

"Excuse you, ass," Peyton said, glaring at him, crossing her arms.

"He is going to have a hard time breaking you on the stand," Brooke's lawyer said, walking up. "Although, we might not have to worry about it".

"This is my lawyer Chad," Brooke said introducing him, but her mind could only stay focused for so long. "What's going on"?

Chad shrugged. "He showed up trying to reschedule—again," he said. "Last night they were ready, I spoke with him on the phone—this morning, he said his client needs time".

"I mean Sylvia did just die," Brooke said, crossing her arms.

"A month ago" Chad reminded her. "It's sad, and that's why we were willing to reschedule the last time, but if he wanted to reschedule he should have reached out to me beforehand, not after we all took time out of our day to be here—".

"He's right, Brooke," Lucas said, placing his hand on her lower back.

It was a simple gesture, gone unnoticed by Chad, but Peyton noticed, and she couldn't help but smirk at it.

"You two can find a seat anywhere back here—but we need to sit down up here," Chad told Brooke. "Judge Stuart has already given them an extra twenty minutes—so if we are sitting there on time, it already gives us a head start".

Brooke nodded, and they all found a seat—and they sat there, quietly, for twenty minutes. The twenty minutes came, and they went—quickly, and no sight of Julian, or his lawyer, but the forgiving judge didn't move. Instead, he looked at his watch and said "another ten".

Except that ten, turned into another, and another, and they small twenty minutes quickly became an hour that they were all sitting there, waiting—impatiently, before the door finally opened.

They all turned to see the lawyer they had saw earlier, and Julian, with a water bottle in his hand, stumbling. It wasn't until he passed the small table she was sitting at that she smelt it, the alcohol rolling off of him, and Brooke knew that if she smelt it, so did her lawyer.

"Excuse me, your honor" Chad said standing up, adjusting the coat to his suite. "I move that the hearing be canceled and my client be rewarded full custody".

"He is a little late, but he is here," Julian's lawyer said, pointing.

"After you slipped him a banana bag I'm sure, which only helps for his hydration, it doesn't mask that smell," Chad told him. "His client is drunk".

"Is that true"? Judge Stuart asked, looking across the room at Julian and his lawyer.

"My client has had a rough few months, from time to time he indulges in a drink now and then, there is no hard in that" Julian's lawyer said.

"That's not what I asked," Judge Stuart said, sternly. "I asked if your client is drunk as if he had been drinking before coming here".

"Your honor—".

"I'm going to agree with Mr. Conley, without hearing another word more it speaks for itself who these two children belong with, they belong with someone who can show up on time, and treat this in a manner that something like a custody hearing should be treated," Judge Stuart said. "I hereby grant full custody of eight-year-old twins Davis and Jude Baker to Brooke Penelope Davis-Baker".

Brooke watched in shock, amazement, as Judge Stuart pounded his gavel, and even though he barely hit it, she heard it echo in her ears, and for the first time in months, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"No".

Everyone turned to see it wasn't his lawyer that had spoken this time, but Julian, and he looked mad—angry, and still slightly drunk.

"I'm here," Julian said, walking around his lawyer, who tried to stop him, going as far as whispering something to him, but it didn't matter, and it certainly didn't stop him. "I am here—and I deserve a fair trial".

"This isn't a trial Mr. Baker, this is a hearing, and I believe right now I am being more than fair, you're standing in a courtroom—drunk, and I'm not having you arrested," Judge Stuart said. "Go out, attend some parenting classes, spend a few months in a rehabilitation center—".

"I'm not a drunk," Julian said, slamming his hand on the table. "You haven't ever had a bad day? My mom just died, and I just found out the girl I have been with—the baby I have been raising isn't mine—I'm having a bad time, you haven't ever had a bad time"?

"I have," Judge Stuart said. "My parents died within two weeks of each other and I lost my wife in a car accident two months later, then after testifying against the drunk that hit us—and watching him go free, I had to come here, and work, and I didn't do it made of ninety proof alcohol—it's called being an adult, you should try it sometime Mr. Baker".

"I don't—".

"You better get your client, before I have him arrested for contempt of court" Judge Stuart warned Julian's lawyer.

Brooke sat, shocked—if that was even a strong enough word to describe what she was feeling, but she watched as his lawyer walked across the room, taking his client by the hand, talking to him below his breath.

"Don't think you won't pay for this".

Brooke looked up at Julian, after his comment, his threat, and though everyone heard him no one had time to react before his lawyer drug him out of the courtroom.

"Oh, my god" Brooke said. "I can't believe—I've never seen him like that before".

"Believe it or not—that's not the first time I have heard that in this room," Judge Stuart said.

"If you want, Judge Stuart and I will hash out all the details, so you can go to your friend's hearing," Chad told her.

Brooke looked up at him, and then at the Judge, the focused her view on both of them. "So—they will be with me through the school year, and we switch every other holiday or something"?

Judge Stuart chuckled. "No, dear, after showing up like that, and that display, he won't have any custody until he attends parenting classes, at the least. He just proved that he can't be trusted with a pet rock, let alone two children who depend on him for survival".

Brooke tried not to smile, she didn't want to come off as that person, so she simply nodded in response, silently thanked the two men, and found her way out the room with the two people who came in with her.

"I guess you have Julian to thank," Peyton said, immediately as the doors closed.

Brooke nodded. "I guess I do," she said. "I just can't believe he acted like that, I have seen him drunk, angry, and both—but I've never seen him like that".

"People change when they go through a divorce" Lucas said.

"You two didn't".

"Okay, people change when they go through a very public, nasty divorce," Lucas said, correcting himself. "Some people can get divorced and remain, good friends, if both parties can be civil, but he can't even be an adult, let alone civil".

"Did you hear him"? Peyton asked. "Alex's baby isn't his".

"I guess he is having a hard time," Brooke said.

"He brought it on himself, don't feel sorry for him," Lucas said. "He made the life choices that brought him here—his mom died, and I'm not denying that's sad, but he could have had a wonderful wife to lean on through all that, but he put himself in this position to add more pain to an already painful time. Julian is the reason why Julian is having a bad time".

"Okay, so you're Chris Keller now"? Brooke asked, snickering.

"Brooke, that's no way to speak to your boyfriend," Peyton said, smiling.

Brooke didn't look straight up at Peyton like she should have, she looked directly at Lucas—her boyfriend, who seemed just as surprised as she was. He sighed. "How long have you known"?

"Christmas" Peyton said, smiling.

Lucas scoffed. "So you have known—for five months, and you didn't think to say anything"?

"Ha," Peyton said, coming to a stop, pointing at the two, who stopped directly as she did. "You two were sneaking around for over five months and didn't say anything"?

Brooke shrugged. "I didn't want anyone to know until after this, I didn't know what all Julian had up his sleeve—and there was the small factor that you are my best friend, and he is your ex-husband"?

"And we aren't together," Peyton said.

"That's what I said," Lucas told her nodding.

"And you two make way more sense than he and I ever did".

"I also said that," Lucas said, grinning.

"What are we on an episode of three's company"? Brooke asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"No," Peyton said, chuckling. "All that matters is that you two are happy—you are happy, aren't you"?

Brooke looked at Lucas, and she couldn't help but smile. Because she knew that answer without even thinking about it. "I'm happier than I have ever been," she said.

"Then that's all that matters—and if it's my blessing you want, you got it".

"Yeah"?

Lucas looked at the two women, who were holding hands, smiling—it could have been touching but he rolled his eyes. "So, why exactly haven't you said anything"? He asked.

Brooke groaned. "Luke".

"Okay—yay, Breton lesbian lovefest, whatever," he said. "But, why didn't you say anything? That's not like you—I mean, if you approved or didn't approve, you would have to say something, it's—".

"Some people can keep their mouth's closed about things," Brooke told him.

"No, he's right, there is a reason—I had a secret of my own" Peyton told them. "I've been seeing someone".

Brooke turned around to find Lucas pointing at her, with a not so subtle "ha-ha".

"You've been seeing someone—as in who"? Brooke asked.

"Chase" Peyton said, gulping.

Brooke paused and looked at her friend. "As in Chase—my Chase, backseat of a car—virginity taking Chase"?

"You won't believe this but he has learned his way around a bed now—and a few other places within a home" Peyton said smiling.

Brooke laughed. "Chase"? She asked. "That's—odd, you two are so different".

Peyton smiled. "I used to think that, too—but we aren't so different".

"Come on," Lucas said. "You two can talk all gushy mushy on the way to Jamie's hearing—I think there's a bathroom for me to throw up in on the way".


"She's not crying".

"Put her on the ventilator".

"She's not got a heartbeat".

Peyton stood above the operating room from the gallery, that she knew she shouldn't be in, that she wasn't allowed in. She watched, in absolute horror, as the doctors and nurses delivered the tiny baby, and proceeded to attempt to save the young child's life.

"I'm losing her".

Peyton felt nauseous, but so so nauseous that she couldn't run—so that's what she did. She ran through the hospital, as fast as her chicken legs could take her. The elevator would have just slowed her down, so she didn't waste her time with it, instead, she took the stairs—two at a time.

All the way down, to the emergency room, where she found Nathan, and Lucas, sitting in the waiting room.

"What's wrong"? Nathan asked, jumping up, quickly.

"They had to operate on Madison," Peyton told them, panting. "They delivered the baby—she's—it didn't look good, Nate".

Nathan didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay, in this spot, but he couldn't, at this moment he was needed somewhere else. The three ran, all the way back where Peyton had just been, to find Surgeons—operating, on Madison, but no sign of the baby she just birthed.

"She was just here," Peyton said.

Nathan, scared, followed Peyton, back through the hospital, searching—as if they were just going to stumble across her.

"Miss. Sawyer—I have been looking for you".

The three came to a halt, smacking into one another— sophisticatedly, of course.

"Doctor Nicholas," Peyton said. "What happened, did she—"?

"Calm down," Doctor Nicholas said holding his hands up. "She's perfectly fine," he told them, pointing.

None of three realized they were standing outside of the NICU doors, but they all three turned and looked, and through the window they saw a nurse, setting up a new bed—with a brand new baby girl tucked away inside.

Nathan felt the shatter of breath he had been holding in, escape. He saw her—she was tiny, so small it took his breath away, but there she was, hooked to a thousand machines, but one of those machines was beeping—with every heartbeat.

"She's okay"? Nathan asked, a small tear running down his cheek.

"This is her—grandfather," Peyton said, resting her hand on Nathan's shoulder. "Nathan Scott".

"Well, Mr. Scott—your granddaughter is doing fine".

"I don't understand," Peyton said. "I saw you, you couldn't find her heartbeat, and she wasn't breathing—".

"And this is why family isn't allowed in the gallery," Doctor Nicholas said, folding his arms, chuckling. "She was born early, Madison wasn't even measuring thirty weeks yet, but even babies born at twenty-nine weeks have a ninety percent survival rate".

It hurt to do it, but Nathan tore his eyes away from his granddaughter, back to the doctor. "What"? He asked.

"Anything after twenty-four weeks is considered viable Mr. Scott".

"We had a baby when we were in high school and she didn't make it," Nathan said, gesturing towards himself and Peyton. "They delivered her after the car accident—and they couldn't save her—".

"I'm sorry to hear that," Doctor Nicholas said. "There was probably damage done in the accident, and things change in the medical field—monthly, it seems like. As a doctor, I will never speak with absolute certainty but I am very confident that the little girl I just delivered, will be carried out of this hospital in just a few months".

Nathan didn't cry, it wasn't his thing, he left that for his wife—and all the women in his life, but the words the doctor spoke sent a wave over him, and the only way to release it, was with tears.

"She is relying on a machine to assist in breathing—but she is very responsive—more than a lot of babies born at the gestational age she was," Doctor Nicholas said.

Lucas held his brother's shoulder, tightly, smiling—because after everything it was the best news so far.

"Her name is Hope? Correct"? Doctor Nicholas asked.

Lucas and Nathan looked down at Peyton, who shrugged. "Brooke named her," she said.

"Do we have a middle name"? Doctor Nicholas asked.

Nathan glanced at the woman next to him, and he nodded. "Yes, Elizabeth," he said.

Peyton looked up at him, and despite her tough exterior, she felt a small tear fall out of her eye.

"You have stayed by Madison's side, and watched over the baby—she couldn't have been named after anybody stronger," Nathan said.

"That's sweet, but Jamie is going to wake up, and everyone just named his daughter for him," Lucas said. "He is going to be either pissed or touched, there is no in-between".

"I hope so," Nathan said.

"Baby Hope still has a long road, and will spend some time in the hospital—but she's very strong for her small size," Doctor Nicholas told them. "Would you like to see her"?

Nathan nodded, instantly, then he and Peyton followed the doctor into the NICU, Lucas—who was walking directly behind them got pulled off to the side, and it wasn't until he was jerked around the corner that he saw who had grabbed him.

"Brooke? What the hell"? He asked semi confused.

"How is she—the baby, Hope"? Brooke asked.

"She's tiny, but she's strong," Lucas told her. "Hope—that was a good name choice".

Brooke smiled softly. "Right now we could all use a little Hope".

Lucas looked down at Brooke, cupping the side of her cheek—looking into her eyes. "What's wrong"?

Brooke scoffed, gesturing around. "Everything".

"Not what I meant—there's something else bother you, what is it"? He asked.

Brooke bit down on her lip, and sighed, tears falling out of her eyes. "What if—what if I know who did this"? She asked. "What if this was my fault"?

"This—"?

"Jamie, Madison—Hope—everything," she said, her face falling into her hands.

Lucas pulled her to a nearby bench, pulling her face up, looking into her eyes. "None of this could be your fault—did you say you know who did this"?

Brooke nodded, slowly. "Maybe".

"Who"?

Brooke let out a deep breath. "Julian"? She said.

Lucas snapped his head down at her. "Why would Julian do this"?

"Not on purpose, even in his messed up mind, he wouldn't—on purpose but—".

"Brooke—what happened"?


Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this small chapter.

I am sorry it was so short, and I am sorry that it took so long to get it posted. But, when the pandemic hit it became harder and harder to sit down and write like I normally do. Once my kids started doing their virtual classes and I & have been working from home.

But, I'm hoping that I will start being able to update more frequently, but the next chapter, as long as it all goes how I have it thought up, won't be written the way I originally had planned. But, it will still get the point across. Lol.