Chapter Two-Hundred-Forty-Eight
When Peyton arrived in the lobby she discovered Brandon standing around talking to Jaime who Peyton can already tell from where she’s standing that he is treating him the same way that he treats AJ. With lots of respect, but making it very clear that he doesn’t trust him 100 % just yet. Peyton rolled her eyes, feeling mixed emotions about the whole thing. She is very happy that he’s finally paying attention to her, but it saddens her that it took her getting a boyfriend for that to happen – and Brooke saying something too. She knows that she did. She’ll swear up and down that she didn’t but Peyton knows better. Sighing softly, Peyton approached her brother and boyfriend in progress and looked at them both curiously.
“Hey sis, where are you two headed?” Jaime greeted innocently, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug.
“I have no idea. Brandon is full of surprises,” Peyton answered and she hugged him back and she kissed his cheek before letting go and looking at Brandon.
“Ready?” Jaime questioned, and Peyton nodded, allowing him to take her hand and he led her out of the Orphanage.
“Your brother is pretty protective of you isn’t he?”
“He is now anyway,” Peyton replied while rolling her eyes some. “He is just now showing concern for me now that you’re in the picture but usually it’s all about Brooke with him. He didn’t scare you did he?”
“Nah, but he tried” Brandon replied while chuckling slightly.
“Don’t let him…he’s all talk I promise. Unless of course you rape me then I would look out – he attacked Brooke’s rapist with a baseball bat when he found out. But other then that, Jaime wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Yeah I heard about that. It must be really tough on him trying to deal with terrible information like that and at the same time trying to trust yours and Brooke’s boyfriends not to repeat that asshole’s mistakes…I would be going crazy if it were me,” he told her softly. “Not that I have to worry about that now…” Peyton wrapped her arms around Brandon’s shoulders and pulled him near for a hug as they walked.
“Is it hard to think about her?” she asked quietly.
“It has been lately…since I’ve been trying to help Steve he’s opened up some old wounds. But for the most part it’s gotten easier over the years.”
“I couldn’t imagine going through what you did…if I lost Brookie my whole world would come crashing down.”
“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. But I know she would’ve wanted us to move on and be happy and I’m trying my very best, I really am.” Peyton rested her head against his shoulder as they walked through the parking lot. When they got to his car, he opened the door and allowed her to get in before shutting it behind her and he went around to his side and got in before driving off. It took them almost twenty minutes to arrive at the place Brandon was taking her to and when they arrived Peyton found herself in the parking lot to Disney World. She looked at Brandon then, suddenly smiling like a little girl and he chuckled.
“Disney World?!”
“I thought you and I could use a little fun…and Brooke mentioned to me how you’ve never been to Disney World before and always wanted to go, so I thought I would take you and surprise you.”
“Oh my god…have I told you how amazing you’re? Peyton asked and Brandon laughed.
“You might have mentioned it once or twice,” he replied as he got out of the car. Peyton did as well and she met Brandon at the back of it and allowed him to take her hand and together they headed for Disney World.
~*~*~*~*~
“Have you seen Brandon?” Doctor Johnson asked Brooke, suddenly poking his head into her office and finding her sitting on her couch with her laptop.
“He just took Peyton out.”
“Again?” Doctor Johnson asked with a smirk and Brooke nodded while smiling at him some.
“Your brother is not allowed to go anywhere because I haven’t seen Peyton happy in god knows when,” she informed and Doctor Johnson chuckled.
“Well, you know, he does have to go back to school when Christmas is over,” Doctor Johnson reminded and he went over and sat next to her. “Is Peyton going to be okay with that? That’s all the way in Oklahoma.”
“Well, if my predictions are correct…she is falling for him pretty hard. So there is no doubt in my mind that she might be pretty lovesick the first time he leaves, but once she realizes he comes home every weekend I think she’ll be okay.”
“It didn’t used to be every weekend,” Doctor Johnson replied while rolling his eyes some. “It was every other weekend. But since he is so worried about me these days, he says he’s changing it to every weekend and he is going to start forcing me to come home every night at a decent time.” Brooke smirked a little.
“Good. It’s about time someone does.” Doctor Johnson scowled and she smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.
“Knowing him, him and Jennifer are probably planning to conspire against me and next thing I know it, while he’s away she’ll be making me go home every night.” Brooke laughed.
“And that’s a bad thing? Going home with Jennifer every night?”
“Well, no…”
“Well, see, it won’t be so bad then.” Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes some.
“Anyway, why were you looking for Brandon?”
“I was just curious as to where he was at. I haven’t seen him since last night.”
“Ah.” Just then, a little girl’s voice interrupted them.
“Brookie!” Brooke and Doctor Johnson turned their heads to the computer screen in Brooke’s lap then and saw Laila sitting there in AJ’s lap.
“Hiii sweetheart,” Brooke replied with a grin. “Are you having fun?”
“Yesth. Laila misses Brookie.”
“Aww…well I miss you too. What are you up to?”
“J’s work.”
“You’re at AJ’s work? How fun!” Laila nodded enthusiastically.
“Brookie doing?” She asked.
“What am I doing? I’m here at the Orphanage working very hard and missing you very much. I can’t wait to see you again.”
“Laila can’ts wait,” Laila agreed and AJ chuckled.
“Why don’t you tell her love you and bye now?” he whispered softly in her ear.
“Loves Brookie – bye byes!” Brooke laughed a little.
“I love you too pumpkin. You have lots of fun and I’ll see you soon.”
“Kay,” Laila replied and AJ smiled at her some and lifted her up and set her so her feet were on the ground. “Why don’t you go tackle Howie? He could use some help on waking up,” he suggested, pointing somewhere that Brooke could not see. Laila giggled and took off running toward what Brooke imagines must be a sleepy Howie and AJ looked back at the screen at Brooke then and chuckled. Doctor Johnson rolled his eyes grinning and he got up and left the room leaving the two lovebirds alone.
“Hi beautiful.”
“Hey,” Brooke replied while smiling.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay. I don’t like being so far away from you though,” she told him with a pout on her face.
“I know baby, I don’t like it much either. But I’ll be home Friday, I promise.”
“How is Laila holding up? She seems happy.”
“That wasn’t how she was before I turned the webcam on and she saw you. She woke up crying for you at five am this morning.”
“Ohh…poor baby.”
“Yeah. She’s been grumpy on and off ever since. She was throwing a fit so I turned the webcam on and when she saw you everything was better again.”
“I’m sorry she’s having such a hard time Alex.”
“It’s not your fault. She just can’t handle people disappearing on her. She’s too little to understand.”
“Well it saddens me. It makes me want to jump on a plane and fly out there for her right now. I miss you both.”
“Don’t do that. The orphanage needs you remember? We have to make this sacrifice so you can go to Kentucky with me. We’ll be okay…just keep your webcam on okay?”
“I will I promise.”
“What all is going on there?” AJ asked, changing the subject, and Brooke went into full on story mode.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in New York, AJ shut off his computer when he was finished talking with Brooke and put it away before walking into the other room where he found Howie lounging on the couch with Laila sitting on top of him. AJ chuckled and Howie narrowed his eyes at his tattooed friend.
“I know you sent the munchkin after me, Alex.”
“I did no such thing. I was talking to Brookie the whole time. It’s not my fault if she decides to use you as a chair – you are taking up the couch after all,” AJ replied innocently.
“Oh yeah? Then how come the first thing she said when she crawled on top of me was ‘J says ups!’”
“Who knows? Kids say the darndest things,” AJ shrugged and Howie scowled. AJ went over to Laila who sat comfortably on Howie’s stomach as if she belongs there and he cupped her cheeks in his hand, before resting his forehead against hers as she smiles up at him.
“Traitor,” he accused playfully and he planted a kiss on her lips before pulling away and he walked off to bug Kevin, who thinks he’s going to get away with being in all work and no play mode but he, Nick, and Ellie have other plans. Howie rolled his eyes before reaching out and gently grabbing hold of Laila and he shifted her so she lay across his chest on her stomach.
“If you’re going to be here kid, you might as well make yourself comfortable,” he told her and she did just that, snuggling into his chest, popping her thumb in her mouth and again acting as if she belongs t here. Howie pulled her blanket up on them both and wrapped his arms around her and he rested his forehead against hers, watching her go through the process of falling asleep. By the time she was, his phone rang. Groaning slightly, he reached out and grabbed it and he turned it on before it awoke the sleeping angel and he put it to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey Howie, it’s me…”
“Lindsey! Hey,” Howie greeted quiet enough that he wouldn’t wake Laila, but loud enough for her to hear.
“Did I wake you up? You sound like you were sleeping.”
“No, no I’m awake. I’m just trying not to wake your daughter. She’s planted herself right on my chest and has fallen asleep like she owns the place.” Lindsey laughed at this and Howie smiled some, as he loves the rare moments when he can get her to laugh.
“That sounds like my baby all right.”
“How are you doing?” Howie asked while smiling some and he leaned forward and kissed Laila’s forehead softly.
“That’s not important…”
“It is important Lindsey. You know I’ve been told that you’re refusing to talk during therapy sessions so I take it you don’t want to get better and reunite with your children who need you?”
“You don’t understand Howie, it’s hard to talk about it!”
“Oh I understand better then you think. You’re not the only one whose lost someone honey but if you don’t talk about it it’s never going to get better. And you’re going to be stuck there forever and you’ll never get your kids back. Is that what you’re aiming for? Tell me now so I know if AJ and I should be prepared to adopt them and deal with Ryan –because you know losing both parents will no doubt cause him to need a therapist. What’s it going to be Lindsey?”
“You can’t take my children away from me!”
“Why not? You don’t want them. You would rather be stuck in that hospital where you can drown n your misery alone. And yes I said alone – because sooner or later Ryan is going to get to the point where he doesn’t want to visit you anymore. And why should he? If you’ve given up, why should he continue to hold on? You can’t hold onto something that’s never going to get better. And it’s clearly obvious that you don’t love him.”
“How dare you say I don’t love my kids! I love them very much>”
“No you don’t. All you care about is yourself. You could careless what happens to them. You would rather rot there in that hospital then be their mother.”
“You’re such an asshole! How could you say those things? I love my kids with all of my heart. They’re my whole world and they’re all that I have left! I love them, and I want them and I would do anything for them! There is no way in hell that I’m letting anybody take them away from me!”
“Prove it then. You want them Lindsey? Then come get them. You know exactly what you need to do to get out of there so what are you waiting for? If you really have what it takes to be their mother, then sow me. Come take them from me. I dare you,” He challenged, and then with that he hung up his phone, as he had nothing more to say to her. He looked down at Laila who still lay in his arms asleep and he hugged her close to him, kissed her forehead softly and pulled the blanket up on them, as he rested his forehead against hers.
“Your mommy is coming home soon Laila, I know it. You hang in there baby,” he whispered softly and he really believes that it’s true. He knows she meant it when she said she loves them and will do anything for them and he believes her. He’s never heard her speak with so much intensity and passion before. She loves her kids. So maybe she just needs a push in the right direction. Some tough love. Maybe if she feels like she is going to lose them, she’ll get herself together. Howie has made up his mind. He needs to start making personal visits without the kids. She needs tough love, and he is going to be the one to give it to her. Ryan and Laila need their mother back desperately and he is not going to sit around and watch them suffer anymore. Just then, Nick walked in the room with Dakota rested on his hip and a water bottle in his hand. He took one look at Howie and recognized the expression on his face at once.
“You were talking to Lindsey, weren’t you?” Howie nodded, not bothering to ask him how he knows that. All of the guys seem to guess that he was talking to Lindsey just by looking at him, and he’s learned to just get used to it.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Okay,” Nick replied while shrugging. “But you know where to find me if you change your mind,” he added, and he walked off with Dakota leaving Howie gazing after him with a raised eyebrow. My have the tables turned.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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