Author's Note: Hey guys! Aww tear This is the LAST chapter! Sorry it took so long to get the last chapter up! School's been really hectic. Whoever heard of reading 30 page chapters in like one night! For TWO classes! Ugh, so again I'm sorry for the long wait. To make up for it though, this last chapter is 14 pages long, typed! That makes this the longest chapter I have EVER written yet! Anyways, I think it gets kind of crappy at the end, sort of mundane things, but I don't want to give anything more away, so read the chapter! Since this story is finished, I'll be mainly focusing on ITPOAA for awhile (still trying to get out of that horrible writer's block I dug myself into) but I may have a short Laley story after a little bit; I'm still developing the storyline. Anyways, I'll let you get to reading the chapter…I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.
Rating: K+ to T, maybe some R depending on your age lol.
Tardychick: Even though Lucas and Haley have custody of Krissy now, she will still call Lucas and Haley, Mommy and Daddy or Luke and Haley, because she is still Haley's sister even though they consider Krissy to be their daughter. Also, with guardianship or custody, it's not really the same as adoption. Say for example your parents died and the only relative you had was maybe an uncle and you went to live with him because he became your guardian until you're eighteen. You wouldn't call him dad, would you? It's kind of the same in this situation. They have guardianship of her but they did not legally adopt her as their daughter because they already consider her their daughter and they don't need a piece of paper to tell them that. Plus, if they were to adopt her, it might create confusion later on as she grows older, Krissy calling her Mommy all the time when Haley is really her sister. Do you kind of get what I mean? I hope that helped. If not, let me know!
The Sweetest Sin
Chapter 21
"Hey Hales, are your bags all packed and ready to go," Lucas asked as he entered the bedroom. "Yeah," she replied as she zipped up the last bag and plopped down onto the bed beside it. She rubbed her hand over her stomach as she sighed, "Braden's kicking a lot today. I feel like I'm one big punching bag to him." Lucas wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he kissed her forehead then gently ran his hand over her belly, "Braden, stop giving Mommy a hard time. If you're nice I'll make Mommy eat something very sweet and fattening so she'll gain more weight. We don't want you to come out too early now do we?" Haley lightly slapped him in the chest, "Luke!" "He's probably just excited about seeing the snow," Lucas replied with a grin. "Lucas, he won't actually see the snow," Haley responded. Lucas smirked with a devilish gleam in his eye and her mouth opened as her eyes widened, "Lucas Scott, you better not stick snow down my shirt! Last year when you threw some down the front of my shirt it got into my bra and I had hard nipples for two freaking days and I was still freezing two days later!" "Oh really? I just thought you were perky because you were happy to see me," he chuckled with that smirk still firmly in place. "Luke," she slapped him again, "And if I remember correctly, a week later I was sick in bed with the flu!" "Yeah, and I came and took care of you, brought you chicken soup, catered to your every need…" he responded.
"It's okay to admit that you're whipped Luke," Peyton said from the doorway with a smile on her face as she leaned against the frame. "Didn't you move out already," Lucas asked with a sarcastic grin. "I thought I'd see you two off before I left," she responded with a smirk, "god knows you two would never leave if I left you unsupervised." "Get out Goldilocks, so I can have sex with my boyfriend," Haley ordered with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Lucas' neck and started to kiss him slowly. "Okay! God, don't do it right in front of me! I'm still scarred from last time when we were up in Charleston!" "You didn't even see anything," Lucas responded, "the lights were out." "But I could hear you two going at it," Peyton exclaimed. "You could've covered your ears or used ear plugs," Haley suggested. "What, and just lie there while you two did it only a few feet away? I think not!" Haley giggled then pressed her lips to Lucas', kissing him gently. "Alright, I'm gone," Peyton replied with a wave as she walked out of the bedroom, "have a fun weekend away from Tree Hill!" "Bye Peyt," Haley called out as she laughed.
They kissed a little longer before they finally got up and Lucas packed the bags in the car before he came back into the house to help Haley. "You ready babe," he asked, walking up behind her and placing his hand on her back. "Yeah," she replied, "let's go." Lucas guided her out of the house and locked it up then led her to the car. He lowered her onto the passenger seat and positioned the back so it was slightly tilted back. He rubbed her stomach lightly with his fingers, "You comfortable? We've got a long drive ahead of us." She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, if you don't count my organs being beaten and battered every few minutes." Lucas placed a kiss on her belly as he rubbed it a few more strokes, "Braden, go easy on Mommy, okay? She's carrying you for two more months so I'd be nice to her. You don't want a hormonal, moody Mommy on your hands, believe me." Haley giggled as she lightly hit him in the chest with the back of her hand, "Luke!" He gently pressed his lips to her forehead then stroked her hair, "Get some rest. It'll take a couple of hours to get there." She nodded before pulling on her seat belt and clipping it into the slot, "Come on, let's get this show on the road!"
"Luke, I'm hungry," Haley whined half an hour later. He reached into the backseat and pulled out a bag of chocolate covered pretzels, Haley's favorite food of the moment, "Here, eat these. We'll stop for lunch in a little bit; it's only 10:00." "But I want breakfast," she pouted then her brightened as she pointed to something, "hey, look! Let's stop at Denny's!" Lucas sighed, "Fine, we'll stop." "Yay," Haley exclaimed happily as she clapped her hands. "What are you getting," Lucas asked as he pulled into a space. "I'm going to order the Grand Slam Slugger. It has two eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, hash browns, and two pancakes. I'm getting hungrier just thinking about it," she smiled as she rubbed her stomach. "Wow, two of everything, that's a lot of food. I'm glad you're starting to eat more," Lucas responded as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's not really a lot of food. One each for Braden and me," Haley replied as she patted her belly. They were quickly seated and they put in their orders, Haley her Grand Slam Slugger and Lucas his BLT burger. While they ate, they made small talk about the cabin and the weather up there as well as the baby and that they needed to be getting things ready for Braden soon, meaning they'd have to go shopping for baby clothes and toys.
They were back on the road soon after they finished eating and thirty minutes later, Haley whined, "Luke, I have to go to the bathroom." "Hales, why didn't you go at Denny's," he sighed. "I didn't have to go then," she responded, "it isn't my fault that Braden keeps making me go pee every five damn minutes. I can't help it." "We'll get off at the next exit and find a gas station, okay," Lucas responded. Haley nodded, squeezing her legs together as best she could, "Please hurry." Haley bolted out of the car and raced to the bathroom the minute he pulled into a spot at a Circle K, which surprised him because she usually needed help getting in and out of the car. She came back out fifteen minutes later, her arms loaded with two bags of groceries. He looked at her with confusion written on his face. Hadn't they just eaten only half an hour ago? "What? I was hungry," she stated with a shrug. Lucas shook his head as he smiled. He was glad she was eating more now; at this point, the more weight she gained, the better off she and the baby would be. The baby wouldn't be born premature or underweight and Haley wouldn't have to be put on bed rest, one of the treatments the doctor had told them about if Haley stayed too underweight because she was more at risk for losing the baby, having it pre-term, or having complications herself. Lucas shuddered at the thought. He couldn't imagine what would happen if they lost the baby or anything happened to Haley and Braden. He'd be devastated; Krissy and Karen too. "Hey, what's wrong," Haley asked, placing her hand on his shoulder when she noticed the brooding look on his face.
"Nothing," Lucas turned to her and smiled, patting her thigh, "it's nothing." "Are you sure? If something's bothering you-" she replied uncertainly, wondering if he was lying to her about something again. "I'm fine," he responded, leaning over and placing a kiss on her forehead as he smiled and laced his fingers with hers, "I love you." Now Haley knew something was wrong, but what wasn't he telling her? She frowned for a moment but quickly hid it and put on a smile for him. "Okay," she whispered. Lucas noticed the sad expression cross her face for a fleeting moment and then squeezed her hand lightly. "Hey, I mean it. Nothing's wrong, I promise," he responded as he caressed her cheek with his hand. She nodded and sniffed as she bent her head and wiped her tears with her free hand. "Hales, please don't cry," he said as he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her body, kissing her softly on the cheek, "You know I hate seeing you cry." "I-I know. It's just these damn hormones…I can't help it," she replied shakily. "Come here," he said as he opened his arms for her to enter. She cuddled close as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her head in his chest and inhaling his scent, breathing in deeply the familiar scent of his cologne. "Sh…" he whispered as he rubbed her back and stroked her hair, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. They stayed like that for several minutes until Haley finally pulled away and wiped the remaining tears from her face, "Let's get going. How much longer until we get there? I'm getting tired; I need a nap." "We still have a couple hours to go. Why don't you take a nap while I'm driving," he suggested as he moved a piece of hair from her face. She nodded as she positioned herself comfortably and reclined the seat back a little more so she could lie down. "Get some rest," he whispered as he ran his hand along her arm and rubbed her belly gently in circles a few turns. She nodded again as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.
Three hours later, Lucas finally arrived at the cabin with Haley having yet another nap. He turned off the car, getting out and going around it to Haley's side so he could wake her up. "Hales, wake up sweetie. We're here," he said softly as he caressed her face, rubbing his thumb gently against her cheek. "Mmm," she moaned as she stirred awake, "Are we there yet?" "Yeah, we are," Lucas responded as he placed the keys to the cabin in her hand, "You better put your sweater on, it's kind of chilly out. Go on into the cabin; I'll be there in a minute, I'm just going to get the bags." Haley positioned her seat back upright and her eyes grew large at the blanket of white covering the ground. "I-It's snowing," she whispered with amazement. "It is the mountains, Hales, of course it would be snowing," Lucas smirked as he helped her from her seat and gave her the sweater to put on, "I don't want you getting too cold. Watch where you step and look out for ice." "I will," she responded as she started to walk slowly, carefully through the snow to the cabin, holding onto the railing with her now gloved hands.
As Lucas pulled out their bags and set them on the ground, an idea popped into his head and a twinkle in his eye appeared as a devilish smirk spread across his face. He leaned down and quickly gathered up some snow, throwing it at her. He smiled in triumph as he watched it smack her right in the butt, his intended target. She shrieked and jumped a little, startled, then turned to him with wide eyes just as another one hit her in the face. She wiped the snow from her face as she pouted, "No fair! I can't bend down and get snow to make snowballs." "I know," he smirked as he bent down and formed a small snowball then threw it at her, landing on the side of her stomach. "C-Cold," Haley stuttered as she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Lucas quickly rushed over and started to guide her towards the house, "Oh Hales, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have kept you outside this long. I don't want you to get sick. Let's get you inside and warmed up." Once Haley was wrapped in a blanket and curled up on the couch in front of the fire Lucas had started in the fireplace, he went back out to retrieve their luggage.
He returned a few minutes later and crawled onto the couch beside Haley, resting his head in the small curve between Haley's breasts and the bump of her stomach, placing his hand on her belly and rubbed slowly in circles. He laid a gentle kiss on the bump as he caressed it softly. "I love you," he said quietly as he lifted one of her hands to his lips and nuzzled it with his nose. She ran her hand over his hair then down his back and kissed the top of his head, "I love you too." "What do you want to do," Lucas asked after a few moments, playing with her fingers. "Let's just lay here for a little while," Haley smiled as she leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. "Are you still cold," he asked concernedly when he felt her shiver. "A little," she responded. "I can put some more wood on the fire, otherwise I have another idea of how we could keep warm…" Lucas trailed off with a smirk on his face and a glint in his eyes. Haley giggled as she leaned her head down and gently tugged on his ear with her lips, "I'm liking that idea…"
Later that night while Haley was soaking in long bubble bath, Lucas prepared a special romantic dinner for them. He dimmed the lights and set a red cloth over the table, placing a small vase of red and white roses in the center. Candles were lit and rose petals spread all along the hallway and around the outside of the dining table. He had made her favorite food, macaroni and cheese, and cooked some lemon pepper chicken to go with it. Instead of champagne or wine chilling in the ice bucket, in it rested a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Using the remote, he turned on some soft music just as Haley stepped from the bedroom, wearing the stunning black halter dress he had bought for her and left on the bathroom door for her to change into after she got out of her bath. Lucas' breath caught in his throat when he saw her and whispered softly as he stared at her with wide eyes so full of love and a smile spreading across his lips, "Hales…you look beautiful…" "Thanks," her cheeks tinted a light pink as she smoothed the dress over her body, "this dress must have cost you a fortune. You didn't need to get it for me." "I wanted to," he responded as he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her waist as best he could, "and it is worth every penny I paid for it because you're amazing." Tears welled in her eyes a little as she stared up at him the stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Come on, dinner is ready," he smiled as he took her hand and wrapped an arm around her back, guiding her to the beautifully set table with the vase of roses and two long candlesticks on either side of it. "Oh Lucas, this is wonderful…" inhaled sharply in surprise. He pulled out a chair for her and pushed it back in after she had sat then went into the kitchen to prepare their plates. Haley's eyes brightened even more at the sight of the generous helping of macaroni Lucas had placed on her plate, "You made mac and cheese," she asked as a big grin appeared on her face. "Your favorite," he smiled back then took his own seat across the table from her. "I love you," she said as she reached her hand over and took his hand into her own, gently squeezing it. "I love you too, Hales," Lucas responded as he rubbed his thumb softly over the back of her hand, staring into her beautiful brown doe eyes. They stared at each other for a few more long moments before they smiled at each other again then went back to eating their food, still holding hands.
Twenty minutes later, they were still eating as they talked about various things; Braden, Krissy, Peyton and Jake, Karen, and the café. Haley set her fork down on her plate as she grimaced and leaned forward a little, placing her hand behind her. "What's wrong," Lucas asked concernedly when he saw this. "My back hurts," she responded, "I think I slept on it wrong in the car or something." Lucas' brows furrowed even more in worry, "I didn't hurt you when we- you know…" Haley shook her head, "I don't think so, it's been hurting all day; it's just hurting a little bit worse than before, that's all. I'll just take some Tylenol and it'll go away. I think I'm going to go lie down for awhile, okay?" He nodded as he stood and helped her up then led her to the bedroom. Once she was changed into some pajamas and helped into bed, he pulled the covers up around her and kissed her gently on the forehead, "I'll come to bed in a little bit. I'm just going to clean up dinner and do the dishes, okay?" She nodded as she closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable. "Hey Luke," she asked. "Yeah," he replied as he turned to her and walked back over. "Could you get another pillow and put it under my back? I can't get comfortable, my back feels so tight, rigid," she requested. "Sure honey," he answered as he stroked her hair then moved some out of her face, "do you want me to rub your back for you?" "Please," she responded as she slowly turned on her side, careful not to twist and cause her back to hurt even more. Lucas grabbed another pillow from the closet and climbed into the bed beside Haley.
He started out first with just lightly running his fingernails up and down her back, trying to relax her. Haley was right; her back was so tense and stiff, it was no wonder her back hurt. He then rubbed the flat palms of his hands down her back and in circles. Lucas gently began to massage her and she flinched a few times when he hit some tender spots. "Sorry," he whispered as he began to rub her shoulders and neck then moved down to her lower back, the most tender of spots. He continued to do this for a long while, alternating between massaging and just simply running his hands over her back in soothing movements. Forty minutes later, Haley had finally drifted off to sleep and Lucas carefully got out of the bed to change into some flannel pajama pants then crawled back in beside her. He curled up behind her and she unconsciously snuggled back into his chest in her slumber. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair before laying his head on the pillow and closing his eyes, beginning to drift off to sleep himself.
The next day Lucas let Haley sleep late until ten, knowing she needed the rest, then woke her so she could have something to eat. "Rise and shine sleepyhead, it's time to get up," Lucas called out softly in a sing-song voice as he entered the bedroom with a tray of food for her. "Mmm," she moaned, "no, not time to get up. Sleep good…very good…" "I made us breakfast in bed. I guess I'll have to eat it all by myself then," he responded with a smile, knowing that would get her. "You do that," she mumbled from her pillow. Lucas' smile turned to a frown and his brows furrowed in concern, "Baby, what's wrong? Why don't you want to eat?" He quickly set the tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of Haley's side of the bed, pulling back the covers a little so he could see her face. "I'm not hungry. I don't feel like eating and my back still hurts," she replied with a small whimper as she shifted to face Lucas more. She inhaled and exhaled a deep breath quickly as a few tears trickled down her cheeks, having escaped from her eyes. "Honey, maybe we should take you to the doctor," he said worriedly, "this can't be normal; all this pain. I think we should take you into town and see a doctor."
Haley shook her head, "No, I'll be okay. I think it's because I'm so short and small and carrying around all this heavy weight is causing all the pain. It happened when my mom was pregnant with Krissy because she's short like me if you remember." Lucas nodded his head and stroked her hair softly, moving some away from her face, "Do you need anything? Something to drink or do you need to go to the bathroom? Do you want any more Tylenol?" "I need to go to the bathroom," she replied, "Can you help me up?" He nodded as he stood and pulled back the covers, slowly helping her sit up. Haley let out a soft cry of pain as she finally sat upright and Lucas wrapped a strong arm around her, carefully, slowly, helping her to stand. "It hurts," she whimpered as she sagged against him, curling an arm under her belly and pressing upwards slightly, trying to alleviate some of the pain in her back. "Sh…I know sweetie," he tried to soothe her as he very gently ran his hand over her back. They finally reached the bathroom and he assisted her in lifting her nightgown up and pulling down her panties since she couldn't really do it herself for fear of more pain coursing through her spine. "Could you leave," Haley asked meekly once she had been carefully lowered onto the toilet. "No, I'm not leaving you," Lucas stated firmly as he shook his head.
"Please Luke? You can just stand outside the door if you want-" she asked of him. "I'm staying. I don't want you to get hurt," he replied. "I'll be fine," she stated weakly, "Please go? Could you get me some more Tylenol?" Lucas sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair, "Alright. I'll be just outside the door. Call me when you're done or if you need anything, okay?" She nodded and Lucas finally left then she buried her head in her hands, starting to cry softly so Lucas wouldn't hear her. Her back hurt so much and the Tylenol wasn't helping much, it only dulled the pain a little and didn't make it all go away. Once she was done, she placed one hand on the sink and the other on the wall, slowly pulling herself up a little and when she was standing slightly hunched, she carefully started to pull her panties back up but let out a soft cry at the pain that began to course down her spine. "Hales, are you alright," Lucas asked concernedly as he knocked on the door then quickly entered. He rushed over to her and helped her pull them the rest of the way up then wrapped his arm around her, supporting her as she leaned into him heavily. "Baby, I told you to call me when you were done. You could have hurt yourself even worse," he said worriedly as he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.
Haley pushed him away, annoyed and angry with him, "I'm not a damn baby! I don't need to be helped every damn second! Leave me alone!" She took a few steps away from him then immediately placed her hands at her back and a loud sob tore from her throat as her knees began to go weak. "Luke," she whimpered as she reached out one of her hands behind her to him, "please…" "I got you, Hales, I've got you sweetie," Lucas responded as he rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she sagged against him, "Let's get you back to bed, honey." He slid his hands under her and lifted her against him, wrapping her legs around his torso as he carried her to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. He then handed her two Tylenol as he raised the glass to her lips and she took a few sips after she downed the pills. He gently lifted her legs and positioned them on the bed, cradling her head and back as he carefully lowered her head onto the pillow. He cupped her face in his hand and softly stroked her cheek with his thumb then leaned over and first kissed her forehead then tenderly on her lips. He gently placed his index and middle fingers on her eyelids, slowly drawing them down. "Sleep," he whispered as he kissed her on the cheek one more time.
Once Lucas was sure Haley had fallen asleep, he ventured into the living room and sank heavily down onto the couch, burying his head in his hands. He hated seeing Haley in so much pain; it killed him. He started to cry in his hands, blaming himself for everything that had happened. He shouldn't have brought her up to the cabin. He had wanted to spend a nice and relaxing, romantic weekend with her and it was turning out horribly wrong. His head began to pound and he went in search for the regular Tylenol he had stored in his duffel bag. He had given Haley some Tylenol PM to help her sleep and calm her down a little; she needed the rest. When he finally found the bottle, there were only two left in it. After he took them, he decided to drive into town while Haley was napping to get some more and they also needed wood for the fire. He wrote a note to Haley saying where he was going and left it on the pillow beside her then grabbed the keys off the counter and walked out of the cabin, noticing that light snow was falling as he trudged through the snow to the Jeep.
A few hours later, Haley awoke from her slumber with a start. Pain flooded through her abdomen and she quickly gripped her belly, letting out a soft cry as she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tight. 'No, this can't be happening…' Haley thought as she waited for the pain to subside. When it finally did, she called out for her boyfriend, first softly then screaming his name as another contraction overtook her body, "Luke…LUCAS!" There was no answer; he didn't come. Where was he? She needed him and he wasn't there. She looked outside the window only to find it snowing heavily and she became even more worried. What if he was out in the storm? She began to sob from the excruciating pain she was experiencing and worrying about her boyfriend, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. She was all alone and in labor.
Lucas angrily slammed the door to his Jeep shut once he pulled up back at the cabin. It had been several hours since he had left and he hadn't meant to leave Haley alone for that long. He had gone into town to get some more Tylenol, wood, and some food when a storm hit and they received five to seven inches of snow alone in just two hours. He had left the cabin around eleven in the morning and it was now three in the afternoon. He would have gotten back sooner if it hadn't been for the snow storm, so he'd had to wait for the snow plow to pave the roads; and they were damn slow. Once he got as far as the snow plow had paved, he stopped the Jeep and put on the tire chains to travel over the several inches thick snow icing the ground. He stacked up the wood on the pile then retrieved the food and pills from the backseat and entered the cabin, sighing as he dropped the bags on the kitchen table and tossing his keys onto it as well. He shivered as he pulled off his large, thick overcoat and rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them. It was so cold in there; he hoped that Haley wasn't cold; he didn't want her getting sick. He grabbed some wood from the pile beside the fireplace and started up a fire, sitting there warming his hands for a moment before he finally stood and walked towards the bedroom to check on Haley.
Lucas quietly opened the bedroom door, not wanting to wake her if she was still sleeping. She was awake, however, and slightly sitting up with a few pillows behind her back. As soon as Haley saw him, her face contorted in anger as she yelled, "Where the hell have you been?" "I-I was in town…getting us some food and more wood for the fire…" he stopped when Haley let out a low scream then whimpered as she gripped her stomach. Lucas finally noticed her almost pale white complexion, her bangs and hair wet and plastered to her face, and she was panting heavily. Lucas' heart jumped in his throat as he asked worriedly in a whisper, "Hales, are you in labor?" She looks angrily at him again as she screamed, "Yes I'm in labor you fucking idiot! Can't you see that? Are you fucking blind?" She then buried her head in her hands and started to cry, "I'm sorry…" Lucas rushed to her side and stroked her hair then kissed her temple, "Sh…it's okay sweetie. Why don't we get you into a dry nightgown, huh?" She looked up at him with a fearful expression in her eyes, "Luke, I can't be in labor. It's too soon. I'm only seven months pregnant!" "I know baby," he kissed her forehead gently, "Let's just get you into something dry okay?" Haley nodded as tears fell down her cheeks, "Okay." Lucas carefully put his hand behind her back and sat her up more, but Haley screamed out in agony. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lucas said quickly as he laid her back down. "Luke, it hurts so much…" Haley whimpered. "I know honey," he replied, "let's try this differently, okay? I'm going to unbutton your nightgown and put a new one on you alright sweetie?"
She nodded and once he got her changed into some dry clothes, Haley asked through gritted teeth, "Luke, did you call the ambulance? When are they going to get here?" Lucas quickly stood up and reached for the phone, "Oh shit! I'm sorry Hales, I totally forgot. It will probably be awhile before they get here sweetie; the storm blocked off all of the roads and they have to get snowplows to pave the roads." "W-What are we going to do," she cried, "We're stranded here and I'm in labor and we have no medical help…" "Sh, honey. We'll get through this. Remember in the child development class we took sophomore year, the teacher taught everyone how to do an emergency delivery? I'll be right here by your side Hales," he took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly yet firmly. "B-But w-what if something goes wrong," she whispered with fear in her eyes. "The ambulance will be here as soon as it can," Lucas replied, changing the subject. He quickly placed the call to emergency then began to prepare for the birth of his child, of which he'd be delivering all by himself with no help whatsoever. He was scared shitless.
Lucas gathered some supplies such as blankets, towels, scissors, some string, a pot of warm water, and a small suction thing he couldn't recall the name of but knew he needed it to clean out fluids after the baby was born. He walked back into the bedroom with the supplies and set them on the floor at the end of the bed then went over to Haley and kneeled by her side, brushing some hair from her face, "How are you holding up sweetie?" "The contractions are getting closer…There's almost no rest period in between…" she panted heavily as she tried to use the breathing techniques she'd been taught in class, but wasn't succeeding well. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go wash my hands okay? Hang tight honey," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He then went to the bathroom and nearly scrubbed his arms and hands raw, knowing he needed to be extra clean to deliver the baby. He returned a few minutes later and pulled the covers off the bed so they wouldn't get in the way. "Alright sweetie, I need you to scoot down here to the edge of the bed. Can you do that," he asked gently. She nodded and slowly began to move down the bed, stopping a one or two times when a contraction hit.
He lifted her legs and positioned them upright on the bed then spoke to Haley softly, telling her what he was doing step by step so she wouldn't become more scared and stressed than she already was. "Okay honey, I'm going to take a look alright," he said then took her hand in his, gripping it in reassurance, "I'm right here Hales. Everything is going to be alright." She nodded silently as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Lucas took the hem of the nightgown in his hands then moved it up over her legs where it fell just below the curve of her round belly near the pelvic bone. Haley closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as another contraction caused pain to spread through her stomach. Lucas carefully grabbed the waistband of her panties and pulled them down off her legs, gasping at what he saw. "Hales, I can see the head," he exclaimed happily. "Really," Haley asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Yeah," he responded with a smile as he looked up at her, "He has blonde hair Hales." "Just like his daddy," Haley grinned through her heavy breathing then closed her mouth and shut her eyes as she leaned back into the bed. "Another contraction," he inquired and when she nodded, he replied, "okay, let's start pushing Hales. I want you to take a deep breath and push while I count to ten. When I get to ten, you can release your breath and stop pushing alright?" "I know how it goes Luke," she responded through her panting, "the teacher in health class played 'The Miracle of Life' video so many times I swear it was just stuck on the labor part so it would convince us not to have sex so we wouldn't get pregnant. Apparently the movie didn't teach us anything."
Lucas chuckled then another contraction started and they quickly got to work. "Luke, hold my hand," Haley whimpered before she took a deep breath and began to push, Lucas counting to ten all the while. "You're doing great sweetie," Lucas murmured as he took a moment to wipe her sweaty forehead with a damp washcloth, "The head's almost out and from there it should be smooth sailing. Unless Braden has big shoulders, then he'll probably be a football player than a basketball player, which means we'll have to have another little boy to make sure the Scott basketball legacy lives on." "Oh no mister, we're not having any more kids. This is it. After Braden's born, no more kids. I'm not going through this again," she gripped onto his shirt. Lucas smiled, "I'm sure you'll change your mind." "No chance in hell," she screamed as she once again experienced a contraction. Lucas went back by her legs and began instructing her to push again. "The head's out Hales," he exclaimed after he counted to ten a second time. "Thank god," Haley groaned, "this kid's head must be huge!" "Hey, don't talk about our son like that. Besides, he's got to fit all the brains he got from his mommy and daddy in there," he responded. "Mostly from me," she mumbled. "I heard that," he said as he poked his head up over her legs. Haley rolled her eyes as she replied through closed eyes, "Just get back down there and work your magic-" Before she could continue, Lucas smirked as he responded, "Kinky." "Luke," she nudged him with her foot, "you didn't let me finish! I was saying that I want this baby out because Braden's being a pain in the ass like his father and taking his own sweet damn time coming out!"
Lucas laughed then said as the telltale signs of another contraction started, "Let's try to make this the last push, okay Hales? Push with all you have, alright?" She nodded and Lucas began counting to ten again as Haley gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, pushing with all her might to bring her child into this world. She finally felt the release of the baby as Lucas exclaimed happily, "He's out, Hales. We have a son!" Haley chuckled exhaustedly, "I would hope so, unless we'll have to tell Peyton to repaint the walls with pink." Haley smiled as the sweet sound of her baby's cry filled the room and she leaned her head back on the pillow. As he held his son in his arms, Lucas tied the string around the umbilical cord and wiped him off with a soft towel then wrapped him in a blanket. He stood and walked to the head of the bed, laying him gently on his mother's chest so Haley could see her son. "Oh Lucas, he's beautiful," Haley cried as she carefully stroked the baby's head. Lucas leaned down and kissed her temple, whispering in her ear, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go wash my hands." She smiled as she looked up from gazing at her son to him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, too full of emotion to speak any louder. He kissed her forehead one more time and stroked her hair before getting up and walking out of the bedroom to go wash his hands.
He came back a couple minutes later and climbed onto the bed beside her. He first stroked her cheek then gently caressed the baby's head, staring down in wonder at his son, "You did good, Hales." She smiled as she slipped her pinky under one of Braden's small hands and he grasped it with his small fingers, "We did great." They were silent for a moment as they watched their son, mesmerized that they had created that little life and now he was here with them. Lucas turned to look at Haley as he took her free hand into his own, squeezing it lightly to get her attention. When Haley turned her head towards Lucas, she gasped as tears filled her eyes once again, seeing the diamond engagement ring he held between his thumb and forefinger. "Haley James, I love you with all my heart and soul and we have been together for as long as I can remember. You are my best friend and the mother of my children and so much more. You make me the happiest man in the world when I am with you and I can't imagine my life without you. Haley James, will you marry me," Lucas asked as he offered the ring out to her.
More tears cascaded down her cheeks in happiness as the man she loved finally asked her the one question she had been waiting to hear all her life. "Yes Lucas, of course I will," she exclaimed happily, causing Braden to whimper and scrunch his face, looking like he was about to cry. Haley gently rocked Braden to try and soothe him, "Sh, Braden, it's okay. Mommy's sorry, she didn't mean to be so loud." Once the baby was calmed down, Lucas took her left hand and slid the engagement ring on her finger, all the while staring into her beautiful brown doe eyes so full of love and the wide smile on her face. He entwined their fingers then carefully leaned over her and kissed her softly on the lips, "I love you." "I love you too," she murmured against his lips, sighing contentedly when they finally pulled away. She looked down to her son and saw two bright baby blues staring back up at her. "He has your eyes," Haley remarked in amazement, "He's going to look just like his daddy. He's gonna be a heartbreaker, this one." "He's got your nose," Lucas said. Haley scrunched her own nose, shaking her head. "I like your nose," he smiled as he placed a quick peck on the tip of her nose. Haley moved her head back a little more, causing Lucas' lips to land on hers and they shared another passionate kiss.
Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door and a deep male voice, "Hello? It's the emergency paramedics! We got a call that someone was in labor?" Lucas quickly got up and answered the door. "Yes, thank you for coming as soon as possible. I know it must have taken awhile to get here because of the unpaved roads. I almost missed the birth of my son because of it. They're in here," he replied as he led them back to the bedroom, "I took a child development class about two years ago and they showed us how to do an emergency delivery if we ever got in that situation and I thank god she taught us that. I tied the cord but didn't cut it off and she hasn't released the placenta yet. She and the baby are fine, no complications or anything." "That's good. Did you take an accurate time of when the baby was born for the birth records," one of the paramedics asked. Lucas nodded as he smiled proudly, "Born at 4:21 p.m. His name is Braden Michael Scott." "Congratulations," the two men clapped him on the back. "Hales, the paramedics are here," he said quietly as he entered the room, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby in her arms.
Once Haley and Braden were assessed, they loaded mother and baby on a stretcher as they couldn't use a gurney with wheels because of the snow and loaded them into the back of the ambulance. Lucas grabbed his coat and keys and followed, hopping into the back with her. Lucas took Haley's hand and kissed it as one of the paramedics closed the doors and they began their drive back into town to the hospital. Haley and little Braden were kept overnight as standard procedure rules required them to keep an eye on the new mother and baby just in case complications were to arise. Lucas stayed with them all night, letting Haley sleep while he tended to his son unless he needed to be fed; only then would he wake her. The next day they were released from the hospital and they headed back to the cabin to rest. They had decided to stay one more day before making the drive home with their new little one in tow.
Lucas packed the last bag into the Jeep then returned to the cabin, calling out, "Hales, are you almost ready?" "Yeah, I'm just changing Braden before we go," she responded back just as he entered the living room where she was kneeling on the floor changing Braden's diaper as he lay on a thick soft blanket. She finally stood and cleaned everything up and put it back in the diaper bag they had bought yesterday on their way back from the hospital. "Bundle him up good. We don't want our little guy getting sick now do we," Lucas said as he tickled the baby's tummy with an index finger. Haley grinned down at her son then up at her fiancé. Fiancé. She was still amazed by the word. She had waited so long for this; marrying the man of her dreams, the love of her life, and starting a family with him, and now it was all finally happening.
After giving the cabin a once-over to make sure they didn't leave anything behind, the couple headed out to the car. Haley buckled Braden into the car seat position in the middle of the back row behind the front two seats so Haley would be able access him if need be. They finally got in the front and started the Jeep, staring up at the cabin and smiling at the memory of their time there. Lucas put it into gear and started to drive off. "How long is the drive again," Haley asked, not knowing because she had slept through the drive up. "Three or four hours, depending if there's lots of snow. We'll have to make a few pit stops; gas and food, bathroom breaks and stuff," he replied. "Oh god, a four hour drive with a newborn crying baby? I hope he sleeps most of the way through," Haley groaned. "He's pretty quiet for a newborn; not like those other babies we saw in the nursery at the hospital. I don't think he'll be much of a problem," Lucas responded as he looked in the rearview mirror at his sleeping son.
Two hours later, they were traveling along a deserted highway when Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Luke, I need to feed Braden," she grimaced as she felt the tightness in her chest became more prominent. Since there were no exits along the highway as far as he could see, Lucas decided to just pull over onto the side of the road. Haley got out and sat in the back beside the car seat, gently lifting Braden out and cradling him close to her chest. She lifted her shirt a little and unhooked her bra in the front, allowing little Braden to nurse. Lucas came up beside them and wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders, kissing her temple and lightly stroking the baby's head. Haley felt Lucas' fingers move very slowly from the baby's head to her breast, trying to be subtle, but she slapped his hand away, "Pervert!" Lucas laughed, trying to look innocent, but she knew better, "What? I wasn't trying anything." "Oh please, you were trying to feel me up while our son is right here in my arms and the one he was using no less. Shame on you, trying to take a hungry little baby's food from him," she scolded him jokingly. "I'm hungry too," he smirked with that little gleam in his eyes. Haley's mouth dropped in shock. Braden let go and she switched him to her other breast and when she saw Lucas' hand creeping again, she said sternly, "Lucas Scott, don't even think it!" "I wasn't going to do anything," he tried playing the innocent card again. "Please, I know how your dirty mind works and there will be no sex for a long while, I can assure you of that. I don't want more kids anytime soon. We already have our hands full with Krissy and Braden," Haley responded. She finished up feeding Braden and soon they were back on their way. "How much longer," Haley asked, hating having to sit still for so long. "About another hour and a half, two hours. We've got one more stop to make though," he responded with a secretive smile as he pulled back onto the highway.
When they entered back into Tree Hill, Lucas called his mom to let her know they would be by shortly to pick Krissy up. Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of Karen's house. When she heard an engine cut out, Karen called out for Keith as she raced down the steps just as Lucas stepped from the car. "Lucas," she yelled excitedly as she engulfed him in a large hug then pulled back, "What took you guys so long? You two were supposed to be back yesterday." "There was a snow storm up there so we couldn't go anywhere until the roads were paved. Plus, some things happened and we couldn't leave town on time as planned," he replied, inwardly smiling. "What…" Karen's brows furrowed in confusion but her eyes grew wide and she gasped as Haley walked around the side of the Jeep holding a baby in her arms, "Oh my god! You had the baby!" She faced her son and slapped him on the shoulder, "Why didn't you call me?" "The phones wouldn't work because of the bad reception until we got near town and we also wanted it to be a surprise," Lucas grinned. Haley stepped forward and carefully laid her son in Karen's arms, smiling at the two, "Mom, I would like you to meet your grandson, Braden Michael Scott." "Oh, he's so precious," Karen replied, her voice full of emotion as a few tears rose to her eyes, tucking the blanket closer around Braden and running a few fingers over his head.
"Daddy, Mommy! You're back," Krissy screamed happily as she raced down the steps to the couple. "Hey baby girl," Lucas said as he leaned over and picked her up, "Did you have fun at Grandma's? Were you good?" Krissy nodded her head emphatically with a bright grin on her face, "I always am Daddy. I'm a good girl." "Yes you are," Haley responded as she tickled her tummy. Krissy giggled then saw the baby in Karen's arms be handed back to Haley. "Mommy, is that Braden," she inquired curiously. "Yes sweetie, this is your nephew Braden. He's more like your brother though because you two will be so close. I know you will be great friends," Haley smiled as she rocked her son. "He's so small. When do I get to play with him," Krissy asked. Lucas patted her back, "Not for a while sweetie. He's only a little baby." "Oh," Krissy replied, a pout forming on her face. "Do you want to see him," Lucas asked. She nodded and he set her down then took Braden from Haley and sat down on the bench swing on the porch, "Come here Kris." She climbed up beside him and sat on her knees, peering over Lucas' arm at the baby. She was silent for a few moments as she studied him and then Lucas asked, "So, what do you think?" Krissy shrugged nonchalantly, "He's cute, for a boy." Lucas laughed and so did the others.
Braden started to whine and Lucas held him up against his shoulder, slowly rubbing his back. He didn't settle down and finally Haley took him, doing the same thing, and it seemed to calm him down. As Haley rubbed his back with her left hand, her ring caught in the light and Karen gasped. She looked to Haley's ring and grabbed her hand then to Lucas, questions in her eyes, "Lucas?" He looked to Haley as they shared a smile and then he lifted his left hand too, "We got married this morning." Her eyes grew wide at this admission, "What?" "We got-" Lucas started to repeat but Karen interrupted him. "I heard you the first time Lucas. Why didn't you get married here, with all your friends and family?" "We had originally wanted to get married before Braden was born but that didn't happen since he came early, so we did the next best thing, which was the day after he was born," Haley supplied as she stared down at her son. "Lucas Scott and Haley James-Scott, you two are going to give us a real wedding whether you like it or not. I can't believe you two would get married without us there," Karen scolded good-naturedly with a grin. "Scott," Haley said as she looked up to her husband with a soft smile and Karen looked to her in confusion, "It's just Haley Scott."
"Oh, I'm so happy for you guys," Karen gushed as she opened her arms and enveloped them in a hug. "Careful! Baby in arms," Haley exclaimed as she pulled slightly away. Braden yawned and started to whimper, signaling that he was getting ready to cry. Haley gently bounced him as she cradled his head in her hand. "Sh, Braden, it's okay," she looked up to Lucas, who got her silent message. "Mom, Braden's getting fussy and he needs a nap so we're just going to get Kris and head on home, okay," Lucas responded. "Alright honey, you be careful driving. Bring that baby by here tomorrow; I want to spend some more time with my grandson." "Okay Mom," Lucas kissed her cheek then went into the house to get Kris and her things while Haley went back to the car and buckled Braden in his car seat. After Krissy was securely buckled into her own car seat, the little family drove off, waving their hands out the windows in farewell.
Once they got home, Haley put Braden down for a nap for a little while and she, Lucas, and Krissy played some games and watched movies until it was dinner time. After dinner Braden woke up for another feeding and change then the three played with him for a little bit, tickling his tummy and talking to him. Lucas tended to Braden while Haley gave Krissy her bath and got her into pajamas then read her a book. Braden finally fell asleep and Lucas put him in his crib. He stood there for a few moments, watching his son sleep. Haley came up beside him, wrapping one arm around his torso as she rested her head against his chest and she looked up into his blue eyes, smiling, as he gazed down into her own brown ones. Their lips began to move towards each other and Haley stood on her tiptoes, first kissing him softly then pressed more into his mouth, cupping his cheek in her hand. "All the kids asleep," Lucas asked when they broke apart, rubbing her back in large circles. Haley nodded as she smiled at him. "Good, let's get some sleep. We'll need as much as we can get. There's going to be a lot of sleepless nights for the next couple months," he responded. Haley giggled as she took his hand and led him to the bedroom. They changed into pajamas and slipped under the covers, exhausted from the past few days' events. Haley snuggled into his bare chest, inhaling his scent contentedly, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. Lucas kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair, whispering in her ear, "I love you Hales." "I love you too, Luke," she responded sleepily as she placed a kiss on his jaw and snuggled deeper into him. Lucas smiled as he closed his eyes. He felt complete, fulfilled; he was married to his beautiful wife, his best friend, and he had two wonderful children. Life couldn't have been better as he held his wife in his arms and began to drift off to sleep.
Author's Note 2: I would like to thank each and every one of you personally for reading and reviewing my story and offering so much support for it, but there are too many of you to thank each and every individual who reviewed. I want to thank Tay, Malin, Christina, Lin, Ali, Katie, ForeverYours, and maggymoo for all you support and always being devoted to this story. All of the feedback I get from you guys, all of you, means so much to me. It brightens my day when I've had a bad one or makes my day even better to come on and read all the wonderful reviews. I cannot thank you all enough. Anyway, thank you all again. You are a great bunch of people!