Author's Note: I am so sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. It's been written and completed since the beginning of last month, but then I had finals and the holidays, etcetera.
This is the last chapter of "Hallelujah", but never fear because there will be a third installment, tentatively called "Umbrella". I hope you've enjoyed this story, and I'm really thankful for all of your kind reviews.
"Brooke? Brooke, wake up."
"What the hell do you want?"
Lucas and Brooke were lying in bed late in the night, Lucas resting his hand on his girlfriend's stomach.
"The baby just did something weird", he explains.
Brooke sits up in bed and turns on the lamp that sits right next to her side of the bed.
"She's just kicking", Brooke says, "She's been doing that for days."
"Really? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know. You were never around when it happened."
"Oh…" Lucas looks down sadly, his hand still on his baby.
"Let's go to bed, Luke", Brooke says as she turns off the lamp and lies back in bed. Lucas leans over and pecks Brooke on the cheek.
"Goodnight", Lucas says.
"Mhmm…" Brooke mumbles, quickly falling back to sleep.
By sixteen weeks, Lucas told Brooke she had to tell her parents. Their reaction did not surprise Brooke in the least; they refused to support her. After much discussion, Karen agreed to let Brooke move into her home with her and Lucas. At nineteen weeks, Brooke and Lucas discovered their unborn child is a healthy girl. Both high schoolers began to adjust to life as expectant parents. Brooke and Lucas also decided that they both wanted to try to form a real relationship again. And now, at 22 weeks, the couple was happy. Their baby girl was healthy and that's really what mattered to them in that moment.
"Broody?" Brooke asks quietly as the two lay in the dark.
"Yeah?"
"Put your hand back", she insists.
Lucas smiles to himself and reaches across Brooke's body to rest his hand on Brooke's belly again. Not even a moment later, Lucas feels a resistance against his strong hand. He smiles and Brooke laughs aloud.
"That's amazing", Lucas says, sighing contentedly.
"I know."
"Does it feel weird for you?"
"Yeah", Brooke says, "she's starting to wiggle, too."
"Wow."
"I love it, though", the girl admits.
"She's a Tigger, like her mother", Lucas says.
"Or maybe she'll play basketball."
"We'll support her in whatever she wants to do", the boy concedes.
"She's not even born yet and we're already talking about our plans for her."
Lucas snuggles against Brooke and she smiles. She puts her hand over Lucas' and they both feel the baby kick against their hands.
"She's making her presence known", Brooke says as she chuckles.
"She'll be just like you. Uh-oh."
Brooke swats Lucas with her free hand and smiles, "Goodnight!" she says teasingly.
"Goodnight, Brooke."
The two fall back to sleep again, both of their hands still resting on Brooke's growing bump.
Shaking her boyfriend awake hours later, Brooke exclaims, "Hey Lucas, wake up!"
Lucas jolts awake at the sound of his girlfriend's pleading words, "What? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine", Brooke says cheerfully, "just wanted to wake you up. I was bored."
"It's 8AM, Brooke, and it's Saturday."
"So?"
"Why are you up?"
"Your baby likes to kick me a lot", Brooke explains as she gets out of bed and walks to her dresser, "and she's sitting on my bladder so I have to pee every five seconds."
"I'm sorry, babe", Lucas says as he stands up to kiss Brooke.
"Don't be sorry", Brooke says as she rubs her belly.
"What do you want to do today?"
"Shop!"
"Really?"
"There's so much that we need, Luke. Plus, have you seen baby clothes? They're so cute!"
It took a while, but Brooke finally adjusted to being pregnant. She enjoyed watching her body grow, feeling the fluttering movements of her daughter growing inside her body. Lucas was also really enjoying his girlfriend's new body and they both were looking forward to the next few months.
Brooke now reached into her drawers and pulled out a pair of jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt. She loved her pregnant form, but she was hesitant to show it off. The stares she would get bothered her more than she let on.
"Do you want to make breakfast here or go to the café?" Lucas asks, grabbing his own clothes.
"I want to stay in. Can I cook breakfast for you?" Brooke asks excitedly.
"Can you cook?" Lucas asks as he slips on a t-shirt, but remains in his pajama pants.
"Not really, but how hard could it be to make eggs and toast?" Brooke replies, skipping out of the bedroom towards the kitchen.
"Brooke", Lucas calls out to the girl as he walks out of his bedroom and joins his girlfriend in the kitchen.
"Yes, Broody-boy?" responds Brooke. She's walking frantically around the room now, looking for items to make breakfast with.
"Why so cheery this morning?"
"I'm always cheery, Luke. Even when baby girl Scott keeps me up."
"You barely look pregnant in that outfit", Lucas points out. He pulls a loaf of bread out of the bread box and hands it to the brunette.
"I don't know, Lucas…I just don't like to flaunt this belly."
Lucas walks closer to Brooke, who is putting two slices of bread in the toaster. He puts his hand on her stomach but she quickly walks away, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a carton of eggs.
"Why not, Brooke? Are you worried that you look fat?" Lucas asks as Brooke shakes her head in response.
"I get stared at."
"It's because you're so beautiful."
Brooke snorts in amusement, "No, it's not. Kids at school stare, people on the street stare. A woman at the café the other day had the nerve to tell me that I should be ashamed of myself." Brooke takes the eggs and begins to crack them into a bowl. It is silent as Lucas takes the carton and returns it to the refrigerator. His back is to Brooke as he asks, "Do you regret any of this?" He is hesitant as he waits for his girlfriend's answer.
"I don't regret it. I wish that I was ten years older or something. We're sixteen, Lucas", Brooke says as she continues walking around the kitchen to find plates. She puts two plates on the table and finally sits down. "But I can't change anything now. This is my life. I'm going to have a baby, and it's going to be fine."
Lucas sits next to his girlfriend and rests his hand on her knee, "You're going to be a great mother", he tells her.
"Thank you", Brooke whispers, "Time will tell."
I don't quite like this chapter, but it'll do. I've already begun writing Chapter 1 of the third installment. Please review, loves!