Lucas Scott sat by the door waiting for her to let him in. This the 3rd time this week he had forgotten his key before practice. Knowing his fiancé she was in the shower with the radio blasting and most likely wasn't listening for the doorbell. So from the way things looked, he was going to be out there for a while. He didn't mind it though, the chilly Charlotte air gave him time to think and clear his head. Lately he had been only thinking about one thing. Brooke Davis, his soul mate, the love of his life, and as she always liked putting it, his better half.

The strange thing was if you had asked him just 5 years ago who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with he mostly likely wouldn't have said Brooke, in fact he didn't think anyone in their right mind would have said Brooke, except maybe Mouth or Felix. She always said it was kind of a blur how they got back together, and with all the sex that was going on he could see why… but to him it was crystal clear.

It had all started the day before graduation. He had been dating girls on and off since he and Brooke had broken up the first time, mostly Anna and Peyton. But as Brooke always said he and Peyton were too much a like for anything to ever really happen and he knew she was right. Around that same time Brooke was "dating" Felix, if you could even call casual sex whenever she got jealous of Lucas's relationships dating. Then after Felix moved… it became even less of a relationship. It was a hard time for Brooke with her loosing all of her money and Lucas. But they had still been good friends, talking everyday about random things, checking up on each other and making the other ones world just a little bit easier. For as long as he lived he would forget their conversation that day before graduation.

"Hey Broody, wanna give me a hand" Brooke laughed coming out of his bathroom in just her bra and underwear

"With what? Becoming a porn star?"

"That… and picking out a dress to wear under my robe… which do you like?" She asked holding up to very similar black dresses

"Couldn't you just go naked?"

"I could… but what fun would the foreplay be after if I was already undressed?" She giggled in her usual cheery way that made his heart jump

"You know I don't trust that Felix dude, I don't care what he says"

"I know you don't, but handsome as you well know I don't trust any dude…" Brooke frowned

"You can trust me"

"Not a smart thing to say to your ex-girlfriend who you cheated on!" Brooke laughed throwing a dress at him

"Right… I always forget that"

"But I do trust you Luke, at least more than I trust anyone else"

Those had been their last words before he finally came to his senses and kissed her. He wasn't sure what had made him do it, it just happened. At first he thought it had been something programmed in his brain that made him want to kiss other girls while he was dating one. But everything felt so right as he did it. Thankfully she kissed him back and things continued from there. But of course as those 1-night stands happen, the next morning after she left neither of them had spoken of it again.

After the next day everyone went their separate ways. Nathan and Haley moved to Connecticut so she could go to Yale and he could go to NYU. Peyton decided after her stay in rehab that she needed 6 months in France to clear her head. Anna decided that UCLA was the best college for her and wanted to get there a few months early to get settled, and Felix followed her not long there after to go to some community college. This left Brooke and Lucas all alone in Tree Hill for the summer. Not that that was a problem for either of them. Brooke was always finding some trouble for them to secretly get into and when she ran out of ideas she and Lucas would just lie in the hammock in her back yard and read…. Lets not get crazy…He would read, she would listen and make jokes about the peoples names.

Of course no one knew they were dating, really they weren't even sure if they were dating. They were just 2 lonely people together. Then Karen dropped the biggest bombshell on Lucas that had probably ever been dropped.

"Lucas… Your 18, and I have spent 18 years of my life raising you… I'm moving to Italy with Andy for a year." Karen laughed

"Seriously?"

"Yes… we want a quiet place" Karen smiled

"How quiet?"

"We will have to talk through letters and a phone call twice a month" Karen said nervously

"Mom… I think you should do it! It's only for a year, you deserve this"

Somehow that year had turned into 2, then 4 then 5. During those 5 years Lucas and Brooke had dated, broken up, and gotten engaged. Lucas had gotten accepted to Carolina on a Basketball scholar ship and Brooke had of course followed him and gotten in just by using her parents names. Now 5 years later at the ages of 23, Lucas played pro ball for the Carolina Bobcats and Brooke believe it or not was in law school. As it turned out she could kick serious ass in a courtroom. Law School or not though she was still the same crazy Brooke that he had fallen for at 16. In fact, she was the only person he still talked too from when he was 16.

"Hey Handsome… forget your key… again" Brooke giggled from the doorway in her towel breaking Lucas's thoughts

"If someone would stop hiding it from me" Lucas laughed walking inside behind her

"What? Me? Do something like that? Never! Just like I didn't hide that dumb Steinbeck book you would rather read then have fun with me" Brooke giggled again grabbing him close

"I am going to find that Book one of these days Brooke, and when I do I am going to hit you with it" Lucas said kissing her

"Hmm this sounds like it could be kinky… I could totally deal with this"

"I bet you could… How was class?" Lucas asked pulling her down on the couch beside him

"Dumb… Why did I choose law school again?" Brooke whined

"Because you like arguing with people and digging into their personal lives?" Lucas asked even though he already knew the answer

"Oh yea, that… ok so you are totally going to hate this… if possible you are going to hate this more than I hate it and that's a lot?"

"Your gay?" Lucas asked

"Your not funny…and no. That's Anna? Remember? Anyway they are making me go to Chicago for 2 weeks! I have to leave the day after tomorrow, and this is the worst part; I have to room with a girl! Ew!" Brooke whined louder laying her head on his chest

"Yea, I think that's the high point for me" Lucas laughed

"And I told them that I was bringing my fiancé, and do you know what they said?" Brooke asked turning red with anger

"No?"

"Yes! They said no! Who the hell do they think they are telling me no?" She yelled

"I couldn't have gone anyway, remember? Game" Lucas reminded her

"Yea, well if I die in a plane crash you tell our children I love them!" Brooke yelled

"Brooke, we don't have children" Lucas laughed

"See! If I die I will be leaving nothing in this world!"

"You aren't going to die" Lucas comforted

"Lets just go have sex… maybe it will get my mind off of things"

"Cant… not until after we watch the news I'm on it remember?"

"Yes I do Broody boy! That's why I have the DVD set to tape it, and after its over we are having sex" Brooke giggled. She was making him squirm and she loved it

"Shh, its on"

"We are here with The Carolina Bobcats newest player Lucas Scott, how does it feel to be on the bobcats Lucas?"

Peyton Sawyer was flipping channels when she saw it. Lucas Scott on the news. Ever since she had been back in America she hadn't had a chance to catch up with old friends. She was just trying to get her life together. She was living in Raleigh with a girl she had met in France as her roommate. Mary was the girl who had helped her realize that she loved Lucas, and as the reason they had both come back home. Now she was just too chicken to call Lucas and tell him how she felt.

"Mary! Mary! This is the guy! This is Lucas!" Peyton screamed at the top of her lungs

"What where here?"

"No on TV! He plays for the Carolina Bobcats now…. Shh… listen see if they ask him if he is single" Peyton said turning the TV up louder. Then as she had expected about 6 minutes into the interview… the reporter asked

"So Lucas… I know all of the ladies out there are wondering, are you single?" The reporter asked

"Sorry Phillip, I've learned that mixing personal life with professional life is not a good combination, but I will tell you I am not lonely when I come home at night" Lucas said flashing his million dollar smile

"Damn Peyt! He is hot! How did you let him get away?"

"I'm not sure, timing was always wrong I guess" Peyton whispered

Brooke stuffed her bags with clothes that were all way too inappropriate to wear in a courtroom. She didn't care if she was a slutty lawyer though, knowing her once she got her degree she would quit and stay home… Lucas joked that she was going to be a housewife who raised the kids and did school functions. But he knew good and well she didn't want kids.

She watched from the window as Lucas shot hoops. She loved to watch him play; he just seemed so peaceful and content. The only thing that made her feel like that was him. She hated to leave him because she just felt so alone well bored. Brooke beat on the window so he would look up at her and then she flashed him. Of course the other guys he was shooting hoops with got an eyeful too. But that was them he was the sugar and she was the spice. At least that was how he had put it the day they decided to officially become a couple.

They had been lying in the hammock in her back yard talking.

"So Broody… tell me, what made you want to spend your whole summer with me?" Brooke asked rolling over to face him.

"The sex… defiantly the sex" Lucas laughed

"No, I mean for real"

"For real? Because somewhere in these past couple weeks I realized that I am totally 100 in love with you and if I let you go I may never see you again, I mean that's how it works isn't it? High School sweethearts never last"

"But you and I aren't high school sweethearts, we are more like mortal enemies who have really good sex"

"True… but you know what I mean. We will probably never see most of the people we went to high school with again, and I can't do that with you"

"Aren't we sounding like a Hallmark card today?" Brooke giggled kissing him

"I want you to be my girlfriend" Lucas smiled

"Like officially?"

"Yes like officially…"

"How do you manage to make me so happy and scared at the same time?"

"Scared?"

"It's a good scared…"

Brooke still had that good scared every time she saw or kissed him. Her grandmother had once told her that was how you know you have found the one… Every time you kiss them it is like the first time.

"Hey, so I just got voted the guy with the hottest fiancé" Lucas said walking into the bedroom

"See… always looking out for your social life" Brooke smiled throwing a bra at him

"I see that, so are you packed yet? I swear you are worse than my mother"

"Nice, call your fiancé your mother… see how fast the sex goes away" Brooke giggled

"What am I going to do with 2 weeks without you?"

"You're going to do what every other guy on your team does when his girl is away… hire a hooker" Brooke laughed kissing him

"I need to read" Lucas laughed kissing her back

"Read… boring…"

"So you will never guess who called me today" Lucas said excitedly

"Um, wait! Yes I will… Um, Fred?"

"Who?"

"My other fiancé… duh" Brooke giggled

"Right, no Haley… She's pregnant" Lucas laughed

"Haley! Oh My God! I can totally see her being a mom! I have to call her! Yay! I get to he aunt Brooke!" Brooke shrieked

"Don't you hate children?" Lucas asked confused

"No… I like children, especially other people's children that I can corrupt and send home when I am sick of them"

"I see"

"But if we had kids I would have to deal with them all day and, god what if they ended up like me as a teenager… nope I will not do that to man kind" Brooke laughed

"Ok, if you say so… I guess I don't care either way" Lucas lied and she knew he was lying.

"Alright, I am going to call Haley and congratulate her… This is so awesome!" Brooke giggled as she left the room

Karen looked down from the plane at the land below her. She couldn't wait to get off and see Lucas. She had not laid eyes on him in 5 years… sure they had talked through letters and phone calls but never about anything important. He didn't even know that she and Andy had gotten married; it just didn't seem like something she should tell him in a letter or on the phone.

"Are you nervous?" Andy asked looking over at Karen whose hands were shaking

"A little… I mean do you think he is going to totally hate me? Do you think he has a girlfriend or a job?"

"Calm down… he is probably the same sweet innocent little boy you left to come to France" Andy comforted

"I hope so"

Brooke rolled over in the bed and looked at Lucas.

"Defiantly one of our better times" Brooke giggled

"That had to be some kind of a record right?"

"Yes… Wow, I should maybe get ready to get on a plane more often!" Brooke said kissing him

"You better get going or you're going to miss your plane"

"Yea… like now… Hey Luke, I love you" Brooke giggled as she slipped on her clothes and grabbed her bag

"I love you too"

Peyton and Mary walked the streets of downtown Charlotte. Mary had basically forced Peyton out here to make her talk to Lucas, and now that she was out here she was glad. She knew in her heart that they were meant to be together and she was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"So we're close right?" Peyton asked looking down at the paper from Yahoo Maps

"Yea, I think so… Its apartment 2332, Shit! This is a nice place"

"I heard he got like a million dollar signing bonus…" Peyton laughed

"Damn girl! If you get with him you'll be rich!" Mary screamed

"Ok… just knock for me!" Peyton squirmed by the door

Mary leaned over and knocked on the door and then there were footsteps

"I'm coming…" Lucas yelled towards the door.

"He even sounds hot!" Marry chuckled

"He- Peyton" Lucas stuttered

"Lucas! God it's so good to see you! You look the same!" Peyton laughed hugging him

"I know! Same here… wh-what are you doing here?"

"Well I saw you on the news the other night and I though well, I'll come see him"

"Come in"

Brooke clenched the arm rails of the plane. She hated flying, usually when she went somewhere she just had Lucas come with her, to calm her nerves. He would always do funny things to make her feel better like take her into the bathroom to make out or draw funny pictures on the barf bags. Now she was sitting next to a 40-year-old businessman who kept giving her the look.

"Hey there cutie" He smiled

"Hi"

"So you got a boyfriend?"

"I'm engaged actually" Brooke smiled showing him her big ass ring

"What does he do?"

"He's a basketball player, but he works as a pimp on the weekends. I was one of his women but after the 5th baby he figured he should so the right thing and marry me, even if he is my ½ brother"

"I- I"

"I tried to tell him I was a lezzy but did he listen? No…" Brooke giggled

"I… I see"

"Would everyone please buckle your seatbelts as we prepare for landing." The flight attendant said over the intercom

"Hey… you ok? You don't look so good"

"I'm fine… Just air sick, I hate flying" Brooke smiled

"Ah, my wife is the same way… You know we were flying to Asheville one time and she threw up all over me, you aren't going to throw up all over me are you"

"I promise I will turn the other way" Brooke lied

Lucas led Peyton over to the couch and sat down with her. She looked just the same as she had 5 years ago, except for her hair being a little bit shorter and she had gained a little weightt in the hips.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Lucas asked grabbing one of Brooke's mini-Pepsi's from the refrigerator.

"No thanks… So I see you are still reading those Steinbeck books" Peyton laughed pointing to "The Winter of Our Discontent" on the coffee table. Lucas had finally found it after Brooke had left.

"Yea… They are like a drug… I didn't mean that, sorry"

"It's fine… I've learned to laugh about the addiction" Peyton laughed

"So… You look great"

"You too! I saw you on TV and barely recognized you"

"Yea… that wasn't one of my best moments" Lucas laughed nervously. He wasn't sure what to say to her… last time they had spoken it wasn't exactly the greatest conversation. He couldn't remember exactly how it had gone but he did recall the words "Thank god your not with Brooke anymore… I would probably die" Coming from a person who had just gotten out of rehab… that was a scary sentence

"So… tell me about this girl that keeps you company at night"

Lucas knew he should have seen this coming. He had tried to steer the conversation away from it best he could when she was suddily asking but now that she had asked flat out it wasn't going to be easy to dodge it. It wasn't that he couldn't tell her about Brooke, usually he told everyone about his crazy, but wonderful fiancé. It was just that this was Peyton and she had had some problems. Since he hadn't seen her in so long he had no idea if it would tip her over the edge knowing about him and Brooke.

"Well she's a great girl. Very loving… a law student"

"Wow Lucas that's really great! I always knew you were going to find someone who was better than anyone in Tree Hill. I bet she is really smart and pretty" Peyton smiled

"She is…she's in Chicago right now for a class"

"Really?" Peyton asked, she couldn't help but think this was the perfect opportunity for her to move in. She had stolen Lucas away from a girl before and she could do it again

"Yea… she was really mad about going"

"That's great Luke, I'm really glad you're happy" Peyton smiled putting her hand on his leg

"How about you… anyone special in your life?"

"There is this guy… I have known him for a while…"

Brooke walked clumsily off the plane. She was just happy to be off. Her whole body ached and her head was pounding… hard. If she could just make it into the airport she could take a Motrin and feel better. The problem was making it inside.

"You need help with those bags?" The man from the plane asked her once she finally got to the baggage area.

"Please?" Brooke begged handing him the bags. Her arms felt like they were going to give out on her… and then it happened. The last thing she remembered was looking down at her watch and then it all went blank