You Could Be Happy

After a lifetime's worth of hardship, Peyton's finally getting her happily ever after with Lucas. She's now married to the only man she's ever really loved and recently had the baby she always dreamed of having. So that means she's happy right? Maybe…maybe not. LP, some Brulian, minor NH.

I'm Ok

A/N: I have three other fics that I should be updating, but instead of doing that I decide to write a new story! Lol. I promise I'll be updating the others soon, but I had another idea for a story in my head and I really wanted to put it out there. Okay…so my fic takes place several months into the future. Lucas and Peyton got married and had their baby. Brooke and Julian are seriously dating and Naley is…well Naley. There's nothing else you guys need to know. I hope you all like it. – Jasmine

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Peyton lied in silence on the couch in the family room, staring absent mindedly at the television screen before her. Lucas entered into the room, with his jacket and shoes on.

Peyton popped up. "It's kind of late Luke, where are you going?"

"I need to go to the pharmacy." Lucas said as he grabbed his keys from the coffee table and took a seat next to his wife on the couch. "I went to go and take my heart medication and discovered I didn't have any pills left."

Peyton nodded her head slowly in understanding.

"I won't be gone long." Lucas said as he got up. "And don't worry about the baby. I just changed her and it looked like she was beginning to fall asleep. She'll probably be out for a good couple of hours at least."

Peyton smiled softly. "Ok…hurry back."

Lucas bent down and kissed his wife on the cheek. "I will."

Peyton watched her husband exit the family room and head for the front door. As soon as she heard the door open and close the smile that she had planted on her face quickly disappeared and she laid back down and resumed staring blankly at the tv.

Peyton had been lying on the couch for a few minutes in silence when she suddenly heard a soft cry coming from the baby's room. She lifted up her head and looked toward the direction of her daughter's nursery but didn't get up. The crying ceased and Peyton laid her head back down. Her mind started to drift.

10 weeks earlier…

(Leyton home. Mia has just arrived back in town after a brief concert tour and is seeing Peyton's baby for the first time. Brooke and Haley are also there. None of the boys are present.)

"Peyton she's absolutely adorable." Mia said as she stared at the sleeping newborn in her arms for the first time. "And I love the name…Leighton…it really suits her. Combining Lucas' and your name together to get hers was such a great idea."

"It was wasn't?" Brooke stated matter-of-factly as she took the baby from Mia. "Good thing Aunt Brooke thought of it, huh little one? If it was up to your indecisive father and stubborn mother over here you'd probably be nameless right now!"

"Yay for Aunt Brooke!" Peyton said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. She chuckled softly and got up from her chair in the living room and headed for the kitchen. Haley followed, while Brooke and Mia remained in the room, admiring Leighton.

"You need some help?" Haley asked as she joined Peyton at the sink and began helping her wash out the many baby bottles that had started to pile up.

Peyton smiled. "Thanks Hales."

"No problem."

Peyton and Haley washed and dried in silence for a while, before Peyton finally broke it. "I can't believe Leighton's still sleeping. She had fallen asleep like two hours before you all got here and even after being passed around she still hasn't woken up."

Haley laughed. "I bet that isn't happening that often."

Peyton shook her head. "Never…she's usually always crying. And I mean always. I swear sometimes it's like…no matter how hard I try to comfort her it doesn't work. She's just so inconsolable. And then Lucas just comes to the rescue and almost can always get her to stop."

"Luke has the magic touch, huh?"

"That he does." Peyton said somewhat sadly.

Haley, noticing the slight sorrow in her friend's voice, attempted to ease her mind. "You'll develop the touch too Peyton. It's only been two weeks…give it some time. It will come. Trust me."

Peyton nodded. "I hope you're right."

"Oh I'm always right!"

Peyton smiled and playfully slapped Haley on the arm and the two resumed washing and drying.

Peyton's mind drifted back to the present day as the crying resumed once again and had now intensified. Peyton lied still for a few more moments before sighing, finally getting up from the couch and heading toward her infant's room.

She walked into the nursery and headed over to the crib.

Peyton looked down at her daughter. "Leighton…what…what's wrong? I…I know you don't need to be changed because your daddy…he changed you before he left."

Peyton sighed. "Are you sick?"

She placed a hand on Leighton's forehead. "You're not warm. Ok…maybe you're hungry? I'll fix you a bottle."

Peyton exited the nursery and headed toward the kitchen to make a bottle. A few minutes later she re-entered into Leighton's room. She reached her arm into the crib and tentatively attempted to give the baby the bottle, but Leighton refused it and continued to wail.

Peyton shook her head in frustration and placed the bottle down on a nearby dresser. "Leighton I…I don't know what's wrong with you I…"

Her voice trailed off as she reached her hands into the crib. She was about pick her up, but hesitated and decided against it. "I'm sorry, but I can't pick you up. It'll just make things worse. Besides…I'm sure you'd rather have your dad hold you anyways---"

Peyton's words were interrupted by an ear piercing loud shriek from Leighton. Peyton groaned, threw up her arms in frustration and began sobbing uncontrollably herself.

She grabbed the bottle from off the dresser and tried once again to feed her, but Leighton wasn't haven't none of it and she continued on crying.

Peyton shook her head in aggravation. "Why am I even bothering?! You HATE me! I'm sure I'm not the mother you were hoping for! And if I'm being completely honest right now, you're not exactly the baby I was hoping for! My God...you're making it so hard for me to love you!"

Peyton regretted her words as soon as the said them and she placed a hand over her mouth in horror.

With the bottle in her hand, she stepped away from the crib. She dropped it on the floor and exited the room, leaving a crying Leighton alone in the nursery.

Peyton headed toward her own bedroom, lied down on the bed and began crying hysterically. A few minutes later she noticed a light coming from the window and saw that it was Lucas pulling into the driveway. She quickly sat up and began wiping away her tears as fast as she could, hopped off the bed, exited the room and walked down the hall.

The first thing Lucas noticed upon entering into his home was the sound of his daughter wailing. He hurried up the stairs and headed toward his daughter's room, meeting Peyton in the hallway.

"What's wrong with her? How long has she been crying like that?" a worried Lucas asked his wife as he ran into the nursery, headed over the crib and picked Leighton up.

"She just started." Peyton said lying to her husband. "I was just about to check on her when you came in."

Peyton watched from the doorway as Lucas, with Leighton in his arms, went to sit down in the rocking chair. He cradled the little girl...stroking her sandy blonde hair...and after a short while she had stopped crying. A few minutes later, Leighton was fast asleep.

"It looks like she's ok now." Lucas said as he stared loving at his daughter.

He got up from the rocker and carefully placed the sleeping baby back in her crib. He stepped away from the crib and walked over to the doorway, where Peyton still stood.

"It sucks I start that job writing for the paper tomorrow." Lucas said as he continued to stare at the baby. "I hate being away from her for more than a few minutes. Now I'm going to have to be away for hours at a time."

The words and phrases "Lucas" "away" for "hours at a time" lingered in Peyton's head and totally frightened, yet she thought it best to keep the fears to herself. Her worries were suddenly interrupted by Lucas's words.

"You'll be ok without me here during the day, right?"

Peyton slowly nodded her head. "Leighton and I…we'll be just fine."

Lucas smiled. "Of course you will be."

He gave Peyton a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go hop in the shower."

Peyton nodded and Lucas walked out of the nursery, headed toward the bathroom and turned on the shower. Peyton remained standing at the doorway. She looked at Leighton for a long while before she finally stepped out of the room. She walked back to her bedroom and sat down on the bed. Peyton grabbed a pillow, clutched it tightly and began staring aimlessly off into space.

Okay so there's the first chapter. I hope you all liked it! Anyways…it looks like Peyton is really struggling with the whole motherhood thing and it appears as though the more time that passes, the worst things get. There seems to be something seriously wrong with her…much worse than the simple baby blues and she's hiding her pain. What is wrong with her? Will she continue to keep her struggles a secret? Will she say something? Will Lucas, Brooke or someone else pick up on it before something bad happens? I don't know…I guess you'll have to wait until next time! Please review with your thoughts and comments!

Next time…

Lucas starts his new job

Peyton attempts to get through the day with Leighton

After being away for work, Julian returns to Tree Hill

Still to come…

"Something's not right with her."