Chapter 11: The End Where They Began

AN: So don't kill us… but this is the end. We have loved writing this story together and getting to read your amazing feedback every week. It's over, but that doesn't mean WE are over. There will definitely be more stories in the future – we can guarantee it. We are so thankful for all of you and we love you all so much. We would hug and each and every one of you if we could. Please, please keep an eye out for our next story. And who knows, we MIGHT do an epilogue someday. We love you! And as always, please review!

~ Kasey & Aly

~ C & B ~

The tall brunette leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting like a petulant child. The tiny ex cheerleader stood her ground, mocking his position and crossing her own arms. It was a battle of wills, blue locking on green-hazel and refusing to look away.

"Chris has got this one," Clay spoke, sliding up behind Nathan and Lucas as they watched the couple battle silently.

"Bet you five bucks he doesn't," Peyton smirked. She cuddled herself into Lucas's embrace and stared at her ex husband in amusement, "Look at him! Nervous expression, beady eyes, shaking hands… he's two seconds from caving and she knows it."

"Twenty says he cries," Haley and Nathan said at the same time, shooting each other loving looks as they exchanged a dorky high five.

Four pairs of eyes turned on Lucas, clearly waiting for his bet. He threw his hands up and gasped, "Whoa I am not going to bet on our best frien-"

Peyton gave him a disbelieving look and he grinned, "Okay fine, thirty bucks she is going to cry."

They all turned back to the scene and observed their friends with amusement. For the last seven months this exact thing had been happening. Brooke and Chris would fight over something stupid. One of them would pout. They'd glare in silence. And eventually one of them would cave and basically kiss the other's ass until they were forgiven. But every single time they were okay. That's just who they were.

Chris sighed dramatically and just as he was about to give in, Brooke suddenly threw her arms around his neck with a mumbled 'sorry, baby.' The boy gave her a soft kiss, jumping in surprise when Clay's voice echoed through the house:

"I win, bitches! Pay up!"

And for the last seven months their friends had been betting on their fights – and Clay won every single time.

The musician rolled his eyes at his best friend and focused his attention instead on Brooke. Brushing her hair back from her face, he smiled, "Wanna kick them out of here and get some lunch with Mikey?"

"Now that, my friend is the best thing you've said all day," Brooke said with a grin, running a hand through his messy hair as she turned towards the group. With her Brooke Davis attitude, she waved them off, "Get out and leave me and my boyfriend be."

"Psh," Clay huffed and waved her off right back, "Well, I was about to leave anyways!" He tucked his bet won money in the back of his pocket and looked around at everyone else in the room. "Anyone up for a stripper club night?"

Haley and Peyton looked at the Scott brothers with raised brows, both men quickly shaking their heads. The girls smiled and hooked arms with them, brushing past Clay and leaving. Clay turned to the two and smirked, "Well, I'll leave you two be. But once you're bored, you know where to find the best and sexiest person alive."

"The beach," Chris and Brooke both said in unison with the same monotone expression as they rolled their eyes. She turned back to Chris and smiled, lips brushing his. "Kick him out already, baby."

"You heard my woman. Out!"

Clay looked at him with an offended expression, "You would really choose your girlfriend over me? Where's the loyalty?"

"Do you give me sex?" Chris raised his brow when Clay slowly shook his head, "Do you give me cookies when I'm having a bad day? Or cuddle me at night?"

The surfer gasped in outrage, "I cuddle you sometimes!"

Brooke gave them both a look and Clay glared at her as he headed for the door, "I don't like you anymore!"

"Call me, dude!" Chris yelled after him, laughing as he curled his arms around Brooke's waist again, "Now where were we?"

The both of them headed out, arriving at the Davis household not too long after departure. They made their way inside, Brooke smiling widely and brushing her lips over her mother's cheek, "Hey, mom."

"Hey sweetie," Victoria said as she hoisted Michael on her hip, smiling over at Chris, "Evening Christopher."

In the past months, Brooke had gained so much courage and bravery from the presence of Chris giving her so much strength. She never thought she was capable of finally being her own individual. Independence and confidence were her best friends all because Chris showed her she had reasons to hold them. And she applied that especially to work and her mother. Victoria realized this change and she realized it came from Chris. So she learned to live with the idea of her daughter's new lover. In fact, he was personally growing on her.

"Daddy!" Michael exclaimed excitedly, wiggling in Victoria's arms and stretching his own out to Chris.

"There's my boy!" Chris snatched the boy from her arms and gave him kisses. He wrinkled his nose up at the boy happily and set him down, "Go get your bag. Brooke and I are taking you out to lunch."

"Bwooke, will you come helps me find it?" the tiny boy looked up at her with those wide eyes that could melt a heart of steel.

Chris watched the exchange warmly before glancing at Victoria and giving her a quick grin, "Hey, Mama Davis. How was my boy?"

Victoria smiled and turned back to Chris, shaking her head and letting out a tired breath, "He is as tiring as his father, I must say. Try not to give him too much sugar when you go out to lunch."

Brooke nodded her head with a wide smile and grabbed that tiny hand as he scurried off quickly, "Sweetie, I'm in heels!" The boy didn't seem to care, Brooke having to power walk as her heels clanked against the wooden floor.

Michael let go of her hand when they reached the guest room that had quickly become his little play room. He grabbed random toys and tossed them around, looking for the bag he'd buried in here somewhere. He grabbed one of the trucks – his favorite simply because Brooke had gotten it for him – and held it out to Brooke, "Here, Mommy, I wanna take this one."

Brooke's eyes widened as she caught what he had just called her.

Mommy…

She bit her lip and actually smiled widely, not knowing how Chris will react but feeling a whole new shape of love forming in her heart all for this little boy before her. "Alright, sweetie. Let's get your bag and put this in." She leaned over and found the bag snug in between a pile of toys. "Found it!"

Michael hopped over little pile of toys until he reached her, putting another toy inside. He gave her his usual cheeky smile as he put his blankie in the bag, throwing his arms around her legs and hugging her, "Is its okay that's I calls you mommy?"

He stared at her innocently, handing her a drawing he'd made of the three of them. Two larger people on the outside and a little kid in the middle. He pointed to the one with the giant bow on her head, the label 'momie' underneath it, "Tha's you!"

Brooke's heart melted completely and she felt the tears pool in her eyes. She had to fight them back but it was so touching. Everything in her life was completing itself. She had a perfect job, and she was forming the perfect family. She knelt down, her lips brushing the boy's forehead as Chris walked in. Arms wrapped around Michael, Brooke snuggling him close to her, "I would love to be your mommy. If daddy says it's okay."

Chris stopped in the doorway, his eyes widening and heart racing as he caught on the end of that conversation. Before he could say a word, Michael was looking at him with wide, pleading eyes, "Cans I, Daddy? Cans I?"

The man met his girlfriend's eyes, a slow, wide smile sliding over his lips, "Of course you can."

"I's gonna go tell grandmommy!"

The boy slammed the door in his excitement, leaving the two adults standing there with love in their eyes. Neither even debated warning the boy that reminding Victoria she was old was a bad thing, too caught in what they were feeling for each other and that perfect child.

"You really want to be his mom?"

Brooke bit her lip and nodded her head, stepping forward slowly and letting out a breath. "I really do. He's the best boy ever, Chris. You've raised him so perfectly. It'd be such an honor to have him as my own."

Scooping her up into his arms, he let out a happy laugh. He spun her around and kissed her deeply, "I love you so much. Mikey and I would be honored to have you in our family. You're all that boy talks about. He's always asking when his Brookie is coming to see him or if he can go to Brookie's house to play. You are so amazing, Brooke, you have no idea."

Brooke smiled widely and let out a laugh as she pressed their lips together lovingly again. "I love you too." She snuggled close to him and let out a squeal, "Does this mean that I can … you know, move in? Possibly? You can say no! I don't wanna intrude if you're not ready..."

He gave her that amused look that said 'Oh my gosh, you're rambling.' and she trailed off, "...And I'll quit rambling now."

Chris laughed loudly and pulled a key out of his back pocket, setting it in the center of her palm, "I was going to ask you tonight. I know you already know where one of the spares is, but I had your initials put on this one. I've wanted you to move in for a long time; I just didn't want to rush you."

Brooke's eyes widened, "The initials are pink!" She smiled and giggled, launching herself forward into his arms. "I love this. I love you. And our son."

Our son. That sounds perfect.

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply, slowly backing her into the door. A couple quick pecks and he stepped back, curling their fingers together, "Let's go get our boy."

Both of them came out to see Victoria lecturing Michael about calling her grandma in public. Brooke giggled and scooped Michael up into her arms, Victoria quietly congratulating her. "If you're a good boy, Mama'll persuade Daddy to give you two scoops of ice cream."

"Oh is that how this is gonna work?" Chris looked between the tiny boy and Brooke with pure amusement, "It's Mommy and baby boy versus Daddy? How is that fair? Who is on team daddy?"

Michael giggled and snuggled close to Brooke's hold, his little hand playing with a strand of her hair. "I's on team mama and daddy!"

"Good answer," Chris snatched him up, peppering his cheeks with light kisses again. He wrapped one arm around Brooke and kissed the side of her head, "Come on."

A few minutes later the three sat at Karen's Café, Michael in a booster seat next to Brooke so he could see over the table. He bounced a little in the seat and looked around nosily at all the other patrons. When he spoke his voice was louder than he thought it was, carrying out over the room, "Daddy, why does that's man haves a piggy nose? Oink!"

Brooke giggled and quickly shut up at Chris's look, her eyes widening. "Sweetie, don't say stuff like that." She couldn't help but giggle again, her hands going over her mouth. "I'm sorry."

Chris glanced over at the offended man, trying to hold back his own laughter, "So sorry!"

The man stormed out and Chris buried his face in his hands, speaking around his laughter, "You c-can't sa-say things that h-h-honest in public!"

Michael's giggles filled along with his parents amused laughs. "Sweetie," Brooke said through her own, shaking her head. "Whisper."

Karen came up to them then, her own amused smile etched across her face. She had been watching with curiosity, seeing the whole scene unfold. "I never liked that customer anyways." She winked and looked down at the boy, "Hey, Mikey."

The boy's cheeks went pink immediately, the way they always did when people put their attention on him. He gave her a cheeky smile and half hid behind Brooke's arm, "Hewwo Miss Karen."

Chris leaned up and kissed her cheek, "Hey, Mama Roe. Mikey and I will have our usual if that's alright."

Brooke slipped Mikey out of his seat and cuddled him close to her chest, "And I'll have a big, juicy deluxe cheeseburger." She winked and rested her chin lightly on top of Michael's head. "And a milkshake. I wanna share with Mikey. Is chocolate okay, sweetie?"

The boy nodded immediately, "Yes, Mommy! Cho-co-late," he sounded out the word slowly, "is mys favorite! Is Daddy's favorite too!"

Chris grinned at their boy, leaning over and lightly patting his cheek, "And I'll take a strawberry shake too."

Brooke smiled, her eyes landing on Chris's as they stared happily at each other. Michael began to ramble about the stuff he did with Victoria, the boy being snuggled close to Brooke as she let out a relaxed breath. This was it. This was the start of that chapter where she'd start a full family. Her friends, mother, and Chris were behind her through this journey and she couldn't have asked for it any other way.

'I love you,' she mouthed with a wink, her free hand extending out onto the table to meet his half way.

He curled their fingers together and lightly brushed his thumb over her ring finger slowly. He blew her a tiny kiss and imagined the look on her face when he showed her what was inside the black velvet box tucked away in his sock drawer.

Tonight was the night.

The beginning of the rest of their lives together.