Title: The Reason
Author: a.lakewood
Rating: PG to PG-13-ish
Pairing: Brooke/Lucas, allusions to Peyton/Lucas and Peyton/Jake, Karen/Keith
Summary: A lie about a lie; two leave Tree Hill; a coincidence leads to answers that someone would rather keep unknown...and more.
A/N: I don't own anything affiliated with 'One Tree Hill.' Just this story. And that's only the AU-ish fictional events that I've created…because I obviously don't own the characters or the plotlines up to the point at which the story begins – which would be 'How Can You Be Sure?.' Also, I wasn't quite sure as to how old the characters are, but considering the situations they've been put in, I'm going with 17/juniors in high school.
A/N 2: The title didn't come about until the fourth day into the story. I was just sitting here, trying to come up with ideas of where I should go with this whole shizzy, when the song came on. Hoobastank's 'The Reason' inspired the title, and, hopefully, one of the later scenes. I've really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you enjoy reading it.
A/N 3: So, I was rereading the spoiler for Tuesday's (4-27) episode, and Keith's interview is in Charleston, NC, whereas I thought it was in Charleston, SC. Because I'm however-many pages into this thing, I'm sticking with Charleston, SC, all righty? So, no more author's notes.
The Reason
After Lucas stormed out of her room, Brooked clutched her pillow to her chest as she cried. She didn't know why she had lied to him – why she told him she lied. She was confused about everything and that confusion only heightened the confusion created by her lie about lying. Between the actual act itself and all the thinking she'd done to try to make sense of telling Lucas that she wasn't pregnant, Brooke felt completely drained – emotionally and physically.
As she started to drift off to sleep, she wondered about how she was going to do this alone – she couldn't be a mother, but she couldn't five the baby up. She wondered how she pushed Lucas away and why – she reasoned that she didn't want to mess up his life along with hers; she already felt guilty enough for letting him think she was pregnant with his child. But it was his. She was positive about that.
Her final thought before she succumbed to sleep was that she had yet to tell her parents.
###
The following morning, Brooke found her parents in the kitchen eating breakfast in silence before heading off to work. Normally, she'd go elsewhere until they left – there was quite a bit of animosity in her relationship with them – but, today, she took a seat at the far end of the table. Her mother's eyes glanced up at her from her cup of coffee, and her father lowered his newspaper to look over the top of it at her. They looked at her expectantly.
Brooke could feel the sob rising up in her throat and it came out as a choked-back gasp. She covered her face with her hands then ran them through her hair. "I'm...I'm pregnant," she whispered, eyes focusing on a light water-ring on the wooden table's surface. "And I don't know what to do...I'm not having an abortion. I refuse to."
"How could you be so stupid?" her father questioned after a beat, folding his paper and slamming it down on the table.
"We gave you the perfect life!" her mother exclaimed. "How could you ruin it? Why would you do this to us?"
"You think I wanted this to happen?" Brooke questioned back, an edge in her voice and her tone disbelieving. "I'm seventeen years old – I didn't plan this!"
"What are we going to do?"
"We'll send her to your sister's in Georgetown after she finishes this year," her father replied after a moment of thought.
"How far along are you?"
Brooke paused her reeling mind to answer, "About a month, I think."
"I'll call Diane tonight…Who knows?"
"I told the father...but he wanted to stick around – I don't want to ruin his life, too – so I told him I lied..." Tears came to her eyes as she thought about his reaction – well, reactions. First, when he told her he'd be there for her no matter what, then the complete 180 when she told him it was a lie. She knew he was better off.
###
That evening, Brooke's mother called Diane, Brooke's aunt. It was decided that the day following Brooke's last day at Tree Hill High, she'd drive herself to her aunt's house in Georgetown, South Carolina. She would live there with Diane, in a town of less than 10,000 people. She only needed three classes to graduate, so she would be transferring to Georgetown High School for the fall semester to complete those classes. She could return home then, after Christmas, if she wished.
Actually, the conditions were that she could come home after Christmas and remain at home if she put the baby up for adoption. If she didn't, she could continue to stay with her aunt, if her aunt allowed her to, or she was on her own.
###
The day Brooke told her parents, she quit the squad and put Peyton in charge. She proceeded through the day, then the entire remaining month of school, without talking to anyone but her teachers. She would arrive, go to her classes, and go back home. Most of the time, she'd just stay in her room, packing things up little by little. Every now and then she'd let herself think about baby names. But, if she intended on ever returning to Tree Hill, she couldn't name the baby – she would have to leave his or her name up to the adoptive parents. She'd also think about what the baby would be like. She hoped it was a boy so he would be more like Lucas. Not just having his athleticism, but his eyes, his smile, his heart.
She didn't want her child ending up like her. That was the main reason why she was entertaining the idea of putting her baby up for adoption – she didn't truly care if she went home again or not. It wasn't like she would be returning to the loving arms of her friends after her time away – she had no friends. Nothing keeping her here, making this place her home.
But who could be a better mother to her child than she could? She was conflicted. Maybe having a child would change her. She wanted to be a better person. The baby inside her made her want to be...all the things she'd ever dreamed of being – she'd felt the same way when she was with Lucas.
She wasn't sure if she would be able to change her reputation; perhaps, escape her high school years with just a tarnished halo? The move would help. Starting over new. By the time school would start in the fall, she'd be about four months along, just beginning to show.
###
Brooke had all of her boxes ready to be loaded into her car, piled in the living room, so all she had to do when she came home after school was transfer the boxes from the house to the car, grab her directions to her aunt Diane's house in Georgetown, and leave.
Her head was spinning the entire day, she couldn't focus. She'd passed Lucas in the hall for the first time in a couple of weeks – she'd learned how to avoid him – and they'd seen each other coming from a ways back, but she wasn't going to let him know he still had an effect on her. She saw a myriad of emotions cross his features; clenching her jaw slightly, and keeping her eyes trained on a spot on the far wall, she strode by him.
The last day of the year was always a half-day, so around noon, Brooke slung her backpack over her shoulder – it contained everything that had been in her locker – and headed outside with a stream of students. She scanned the crowd looking for familiar, once-friendly faces, making sure that her exit would be as quick as possible. As she approached her car, she locked gazes with Peyton without even realizing. Brooke saw her ex-best friend tell Lucas, who she had been talking to, that she'd be right back.
As Peyton made her way over to Brooke, Brooke tossed her bag into the passenger's seat, then leaned back against her car. Even though she really didn't feel up to having a conversation with anyone – Peyton in particular – it wasn't like she had anything to lose. Within a few hours, her whole life in Tree Hill would be behind her.
"Hey," Peyton said as she glanced around before meeting Brooke's gaze, brushing a few curls out of her face.
"Hey," Brooke repeated, crossing her arms over her stomach protectively.
"I know that a lot of crap happened this year...And these past couple of months have been really hard not being able to talk to you. I just wish you would tell me what's up."
Brooke chanced a glance at Lucas, who was trying to be nonchalant about watching her and Peyton's conversation. Apparently, he hadn't told anyone about…what had happened. "Nothing's up. I've just needed time to think about stuff, you know? Like you said, a lot happened."
"I was hoping we could talk about it, put it behind us."
Brooke knew the pleading look in Peyton's eyes all too well. "I don't know if I'm ready to talk yet."
"Okay. Well, when you're ready, call me. We'll talk, and do something. You know me, Brooke. I'm not just going to let go of my best friend without a fight."
"Yeah. I know you."
"All right. So, I'll see you around." She started towards Brooke.
"Yeah, see you." Before Peyton had a chance to attempt the awkward hug Brooke was sure was coming, she turned around to open her door and get in.
Peyton shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Bye."
Brooke took a deep breath and looked at Lucas one last time. Their eyes met and she held his gaze for a few moments before she had to close her eyes and look away.
###
The drive down to Georgetown took a little less than two and a half hours. Brooke had followed Highway 17, also known as Ocean Highway, down the coast most of the way, took the Georgetown exit, Highway 17 became Church Street as she entered town, and she slowed down to read the street signs. Taking a right on Lynch Street, she slowed down more so she could read house numbers. A couple of blocks into the residential area, she found the house her aunt had described and pulled to a stop at the curb in front of the house.
Brooke got out of her car and slowly walked up to the front door of the house. Hesitantly, she rang the doorbell and waited nervously. She hadn't seen her aunt in years. It had been when she was five or six, maybe. The door opened to reveal a woman in her late-thirties-early-forties, looking very similar to Brooke's mother. The only differences were that she wasn't as pale, her auburn hair was a lot longer, and she wasn't quite as petite. "Oh, Brooke!" she cried, instantly wrapping her arms around the teen, hugging her close. "I haven't seen you since…A long while ago. Look at you." She loosened the embrace, holding Brooke at an arms-length away. "You're such a beautiful girl...I'm sorry for the circumstances under which I finally get to see you. I'm talking too much."
"It's all right. I don't know what I'd say."
"Well, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, but this is okay. I really love company – it's been so lonely here. Let's get your stuff into the house and we'll go out to dinner after we get you settled."
"Okay."
They made short work of taking the boxes into Brooke's room and unpacked things as quickly as they could. "It's really great having someone here," Diane said, putting a stack of jeans into the bottom drawer of the dresser.
"Where's your husband, if you don't mind my asking?"
"In the military...in Iraq. He's on a two-year tour of duty and should be back in March."
"That's got to be hard. Do you guys talk much?"
Diane shrugged. "Not as much as we used to. His battalion is always moving. It's usually every couple of weeks. We send letters, too."
"Do you have any kids?"
"Not yet. We're waiting for the right..." She trailed off, looking at Brooke.
"It's fine," Brooke said, smiling half-heartedly. "You're waiting for the right time. But there's no time like the present, huh?"
"Brooke..."
"It's probably weird for you – your niece having a kid before you do?"
"Yeah. A little."
"Our family's already dysfunctional, why not add to it." She shook her head as she thought. "But if Mom and Dad get their way, there won't be an addition."
Diane pushed the box in front of her away and moved to sit on the floor next to Brooke, leaning against the side of the bed. "You've been thinking about what you're going to do?"
"It's all I think about. I'd be stupid to keep it. But I think it would be more stupid to give it away. Sometimes, I don't know…I feel like I got pregnant for a reason…How can I give this up? How am I supposed to?" Brooke looked at her aunt, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Shaking her head, she brushed them away. "It's so hard...I haven't talked to anyone about it. Because I don't have anyone to talk to."
"You've got me, now, kiddo. I'll listen to whatever you have to say." She watched Brooke's chin tremble, then wrapped her arm around Brooke's shoulders. "You shouldn't be alone for this."
They went to a local restaurant for dinner where Brooke ordered off of the 24-hour breakfast menu and began to tell Diane about everything that had happened in the past couple of months. She told her about how she fell in love with Lucas regardless of how different they were, about Lucas' accident and how she found out about his cheating with Peyton, him breaking up with her, pushing away her best friend who was trying so hard to make everything right again, finding out that she was pregnant and telling Lucas, then, finally, how she lied to him. "It was one of the hardest things I'd ever done."
"But, why did you do it, sweetie?"
"He is a great person. He doesn't need to ruin his life for this…Besides, he doesn't love me – he would only be there out of obligation to the baby."
"Are you ever going to tell him?"
Brooke shrugged, putting jelly on a piece of toast. "If I don't keep the baby, there won't be anything to tell. But...I want to keep it...I don't plan on returning to Tree Hill ever again or seeing Lucas..."
"Is that fair to him? Not ever seeing his child?"
"Right now, I don't care about fairness. I mean, was it fair what he did to me, cheating on me with my best friend?" The tone in her voice wasn't defensive, but more questioning. All she wanted was answers.
"No, Brooke. It wasn't. And, you know what? He's going to realize that he made a mistake. From what I've learned about you this afternoon, he'd have to be crazy to let you go – you're a smart, beautiful young woman."
"Thank you, Aunt Di."
###
A couple of weeks after school got out, Peyton called Brooke. Both her private line in her room at home and her cell phone had been disconnected. She wasn't about to chance a call to either Mr. or Mrs. Davis, they didn't like her and she didn't care much for them. After a few calls to girls from the squad, Peyton started to worry. No one had seen or heard from Brook in weeks. She called Lucas.
"Hello?" he answered.
"It's me."
"Hey, Peyton. What's up?"
"I know this is a long-shot," she paused, "but have you seen Brooke?"
"No – I think I'm the number-one-person on her 'to avoid' list. Why?"
"I haven't seen her since the last day of school. I called her house and her cell, both are disconnected. I know she wasn't so much for the talking the past couple of months, but I'd like to still think of her as my friend. I'm worried about her, Luke."
"Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to anyone."
"Maybe. But nobody's seen her. That's not like Brooke. She likes to be noticed."
"Yeah. I got that loud and clear."
Peyton was confused. "What do you mean?"
Lucas knew it was too late to backpedal, so he just brushed his comment off. "It's just Brooke, you know?"
"All right…"
"Listen, did you talk to her parents?"
"No. And I'd really prefer not to."
"Then why don't you just stop by when they're gone? If Brooke's home, maybe she'll answer the door."
"Okay. Okay. I can do that. Leave a note, maybe."
"Yeah."
"All right. Well, thanks, Luke. I'm gonna go drive by her house, see if her parents are home."
"Okay."
"Um, I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah, definitely."
"Bye." Peyton hung up the phone and grabbed her keys off of her desk. When she got to the Davis', the garage was empty. Even Brooke's car was gone. Peyton wasn't sure if she wanted to leave a note for Brooke on the front door or if she should just go inside and leave it in her room. She knew that there was a key for the door under the third brick of the edging around the bushes next to the front walk. After glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, she lifted the brick, grabbed the key, and hurried inside. She quietly made her way up to Brooke's room. The first thing she noticed once she was inside the bedroom was that it smelled like...nothing. Not even a faint wisp of Brooke's perfume remained. Then she noticed the empty closet. Brooke was gone. She locked the door on her way out and returned the key to its place under the third brick. As she headed back to her house, she called Lucas again. When he picked up, she started talking, her voice bordering on hysterical, "She's not there – her stuff's gone. Brooke's missing!"
"Calm down, Peyton," Lucas said. "She's not missing."
"She is...Luke...She's my best friend."
"Peyton, she's not missing. I'm sure of that."
"Do you know where she is?"
"No. But her parents must."
She sighed. "I don't know why she wouldn't tell me that she was going somewhere. I thought things had gotten a little better between us, you know?"
"Yeah. Well, I've got to head down to the café. Mom's short-handed today. I'll talk to you. Good luck finding Brooke."
"Thanks. See you."
###
Peyton had picked up the phone at least a dozen times, dialed the first six digits to the Davis' phone number, then hung up before she pressed the last number. After a half-hour of doing that, she finally dialed the whole number. "Hello?" a cool female voice answered.
"Um, Mrs. Davis? This is Peyton Sawyer, a friend of Brooke's. I've been trying to get a hold of her but haven't been able to reach her..."
"Brooke is staying with family out of town."
"Oh. Do you have a number for her?"
"No, I do not."
"All right."
"If I hear from her, I'll let her know you called."
"Thank you, Mrs. Davis. I'd appreciate that."
A beat. "Goodbye."
Peyton hung up the phone and debated calling Lucas. She decided against that and opted to call Jake instead. "Hey, Peyton," he greeted when he recognized her voice. "I was just getting ready to take Jenny for a walk before it gets too chilly – it helps her sleep. You wanna join us?"
"Sure," Peyton replied. "I'll be over in a few minutes."
"So, what's up?" Jake asked as they started down the sidewalk ten-or-so minutes later.
"I called Brooke's house earlier and talked to her mom."
He gave her a sidelong glance. "And how did that go?"
"It was really odd. I've met Mrs. Davis in passing a couple of times, but I've never actually talked to her. She doesn't say much."
"What did you find out about Brooke?"
"Well, I went over to the house earlier and went up to Brooke's room – I know where they keep the spare key for the front door so I let myself in...Don't look at me like that. It's not like it was breaking and entering."
"Just entering."
"Right. Anyway, all of Brooke's clothes were gone. Her favorite stuffed animals, some CD's. Otherwise, it looked like everything else was there. But, if Brooke's clothes are gone, Brooke is gone. When I talked to her mom, she said that Brooke was staying with family out of town. She said she didn't have a number where I could reach Brooke, and if Brooke called she'd let her know I called...Did that make sense?"
"I think so, yeah."
"But I get the feeling that..."
"What?"
"It feels like she's not coming back."
"She has to. For school. And her friends."
Peyton shook her head, curls bouncing every which-way. "No. I kind of had an inkling about it when I talked to her the last day of school. There was something defeated about her. I don't know."
"Would she leave without telling you?"
"I guess she would. She's gone."
"Don't worry about it, Peyton. I'm sure she's fine wherever she's at and that you'll hear from her soon."
###
Brooke got a couple of jobs to help her summer pass by more quickly. She waitressed at the Dogwood Café and helped arrange flowers at Flowers by Joyclyn, sometimes making deliveries as well. Her jobs didn't just keep her busy – she felt that she should help contribute to her aunt's household. If she was going to be living there, she wanted to help pay bills. Unbeknownst to her, however, her aunt kept putting the money that Brooke gave her into a separate account. Diane knew Brooke would need money for the baby.
Summer did pass by quickly and soon, Brooke was signing up for school. Diane went with her for support – at somewhere around four months along, she was starting to show. After registration, they were going to drive down to Charleston to go shopping for maternity clothes. The following week, she had an appointment with her doctor to find out the baby's gender.
Everything was happening so fast. She hardly ever thought about Tree Hill, her parents, or Peyton. She was making progress with forgetting about Lucas. She only thought about him...every second she breathed a shared breath with their child, every time her heart beat. So, perhaps no progress was made, but at least it didn't hurt so bad to think about him anymore. She'd do just fine without him. So would their child.
Karen did just fine raising Lucas on her own, Brooke thought. Then she remembered that Keith had been there. Still, she could do it by herself – she'd come this far without his help.
###
When school started, Brooke kept mostly to herself. She knew a couple of people because they were regulars at the café – the group of friends was there every Saturday afternoon for lunch. She was in a class together with one of the girls. The second week of school, the girl approached her after class. "Brooke?" she asked timidly.
Brooke stopped and turned, a half-smile on her face. "Hi."
"I'm Eleanor. Um, I just wanted you to know...Well, I've noticed that...You're new and you don't have any friends here, yet. And if you need a friend, or just somebody to talk to, I'm here, all right? I know it's really odd, me just saying this, but I can relate. I've been in your situation." She gestured at Brooke's swelling stomach.
"You have..."
Eleanor smiled, shaking her head. "Had."
"Oh...I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Brooke thought about her offer for a moment. "I'm working at the café today. I get off at eight. Are you free tonight?"
"Yeah. I'll stop by around eight."
"Okay. I'll see you then."
"Bye, Brooke."
"Eleanor? Thanks."
###
At 8:15, Brooke slid into the booth, across from Eleanor. "Hey," she greeted, setting her apron next to herself on the cushion.
"Hi."
There was a long silence, then Brooke laughed nervously. "I guess I should start...Where should I start?"
"Where'd you move here from?"
"That's a good place. Tree Hill, North Carolina. It's not that big. I'm living with my aunt because my parents kind of kicked me out of the house." She furrowed her brow. "Well, not really kicked, but they sent me to live with my aunt until I have the baby. I can go back home if I put him up for adoption, otherwise I'm on my own."
"That's terrible. How far along are you?"
"Four-and-a-half months or so."
"It's a boy?"
"Yeah – I found out a couple of weeks ago."
"Have you picked out any names?"
"I've been thinking about names...But I'm not sure if I should pick one out."
"Why not?"
"Well, if I put him up for adoption, his new parents will want to choose his name, right?"
"If you put him up? Are you not yet sure what you're going to do?"
"No. I want him to have what's best, you know? But I want him."
"You want me to tell you my story?"
Brooke nodded. "Yeah. I do."
"I debated, too, whether or not I should've given Keely away. In the end, I did give her up."
"Do you regret it?"
Eleanor paused, looking around the not-so-busy café. "Every day."
"I don't want to regret my decision. But I don't want to be a bad mom. I don't want to be like my own."
"When you have him, you'll know. I made plans to give her up, met with families, chose the best one. They were there at the hospital with me when I had her. They're great people. She's in a great family. She'll have a good life. But I would rather that it was with me."
"I think about when I'll have him. I've read that you shouldn't hold them if you're putting them up for adoption 'cause it makes letting go that much worse."
"Maybe that's where I went wrong."
"I can't do it," Brooke said suddenly. "I can't. No matter how much I want him to be better off...Is there really a better mother for him than me?"
Eleanor shrugged. "I can't answer that for you. But you'll never know how good of a mother you are unless you become one...What about his father? If you don't mind me asking."
"That is a really long story."
"I've got all the time in the world."
"It's complicated, too."
"That's all right."
"See...He was kind of really into my best friend – this is starting out when we first got together a while ago, okay? And me and her were at this college party. Some guy slipped her something and I called him – Lucas. I called Lucas. I didn't know who else to call that I could trust...We talked that night. I'm not sure what I was thinking, getting involved with him. He liked my best friend, she liked him back. They had this star-crossed-lovers thing going on. But he and I went out one night...And things just happened. I remember that, one night, she came over to talk to him, and I was there. There was a shift in the room and it felt like he chose me over her. Our relationship was so out-of-the-ordinary. He was the good guy, never did a wrong thing in his life, followed the 'straight and narrow,' a bit broody. And, me? Pretty much the town slut. Quite a mismatch. But I fell in love. Fell hard. With him, I just knew. He was all that I wanted. However, he still had it for my best friend. There was this thing with her dad; a ship capsized off the coast and it was possible that he was on it. So she had to go identify a body, Lucas went with for support. It wasn't her dad. I should've realized it then...Something happened between them, that's when they started acting differently towards me. Lucas was in an accident a little while after that. He was in a coma for a couple of days. He broke up with me. For her of course...They were together for awhile, but she ended it, for who knows how long, because she felt guilty about what she did to me. It's kind of funny, really, the role-reversal that happened. I went all good and virtuous when I fell in love with him, and he cheated on me with my best friend and had a little one-night-stand with some ho that left her baby at the hospital the day she was born. A couple of weeks after we had broken up, I told him that I thought I might be pregnant. He went with me to the drugstore to get an at-home test. When it came up positive, we made an appointment at a clinic in the city to make sure...The doctor didn't call me back until the next day. Lucas was terrified...Some things were said...I told him it was his and walked away. That night he came to my house...told me he'd be there for me no matter what. I couldn't ruin his life, too. He looked so scared...said he'd be there for me...but he doesn't love me. What kind of family would that be? How could I be with someone I loved that didn't love me back? So I told him it was a lie...he got so pissed...Told my parents the next day; now I'm here." Brooke looked over at Eleanor who was leaning on the table with her elbows, hands interlocked with her chin resting on them, and watching her intently. "That's kind of the Cliff Notes Plus version."
Eleanor quirked a half-smile. "That's quite the story. So you lied to him to spare him...from what, exactly?"
"From ruining his life. He's got everything going for him. An unwanted family started in high school isn't part of that everything. And he doesn't love me. I know what it's like to be raised by parents who have a loveless marriage." Brooke paused for a long moment before continuing, "He'll be a good dad. One day, when he's ready."
"How do you know he isn't?"
"We're in high school. Nobody's ready at this age."
"Yet, here you are."
"This wasn't planned."
Eleanor shrugged. "God never gives us more than we can handle. Everything happens for a reason...Don't worry, Brooke. I'm sure everything will work out."
"Well, my aunt is expecting me home. I'll see you at school tomorrow?" Brooke asked as she slid out of the booth.
"Yeah. Have a good night."
"I will. You, too. And, Eleanor? Thanks again."
"You're welcome."
###
Karen picked up the telephone and dialed Keith's number in Charleston. "Hello?" a familiar voice answered.
"Keith. It's Karen."
"Hey. How are you? How's Lucas?"
"Oh, I'm good. Luke's doing good, too. I, um, I was calling about Thanksgiving. I know it's short-notice, but-"
"You wanted to know if I could come?" he questioned hopefully.
"Yes."
"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."
"That's great. It means a lot to me that you're there. And to Luke, too."
"I'll be there, Karen."
"All right. Well..."
"Would it be okay if I headed up on Wednesday?"
"Sure. You can stay here."
"I can find a hotel..."
"I insist, Keith."
"Okay."
"Okay. I've got to get to the café...So, I'll see you Wednesday?"
"Yes. Bye, Karen."
"Goodbye, Keith."
Lucas entered the kitchen as Karen hung up the phone. "Who was that?" he asked.
"Keith."
"How's he doing?"
Karen's brow furrowed. "I didn't ask him – I completely forgot. I was inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner and...I just..."
Lucas laughed, watching his mother get flustered. "It's okay, Mom. He's coming, right?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "He'll be here on Wednesday."
###
Wednesday was only a half-day of school, so once the bell rang at noon signaling the end of Keith's class, he said goodbye to his students and quickly straightened up the room. He went out the side door which joined with the parking lot where the class 'project car' sat, as well as where his own car was parked, glanced at his watch, then got into his car.
An hour and a half into the drive up to Tree Hill, Keith couldn't ignore his hunger pangs any longer. He'd woken up late and skipped breakfast so he could pack his overnight bag. The bagel he'd grabbed from the teachers' lounge didn't help to ease his hunger at all. He knew of a small town just a little ways off of Highway 17 – one of the kids in his auto-shop class had moved from it.
Keith stopped at a gas station to fill up his tank before heading all the way into town. The pay-at-the-pump machine was out-of-order, so he had to go inside. "Pump number two," he said, handing over a twenty-dollar bill. "Do you know of any good places to eat around here?"
The attendant shrugged. "Dogwood Café's pretty decent. It's on Front Street." She drew him a small map on the back of his receipt.
"All right. Thank you."
"You're welcome. And have a nice day."
"You, too." Keith returned to his car, and took a left as he exited the parking lot. He was surprised to find that woman's directions were correct – perhaps more surprised that he was able to follow them and not get lost. He eased his car into an empty spot alongside the building.
Keith entered the café and took a seat at a small table near one of the side windows. "I'll be with you in just a second," a teenage girl with red hair, carrying an empty coffeepot, said as she passed him. A minute or two later, she returned and placed a menu in front of him. "Can I get you something to drink while you decide?"
She wasn't looking at him – she was focused on her order pad. There was something familiar about her, but Keith couldn't place it right away. He stared at her, completely forgetting about her question, and his silence caused her to look up. "Brooke?"
"Keith. Oh, my God. This...is...well. Let me put your order in, then we'll talk."
"Okay." He perused the menu for a moment before ordering his lunch. Brooke took the ticket over to the counter and handed it to the waitress behind it.
She returned and took a seat across from him. "I've only got a few minutes."
"That's fine. What are you doing here?"
A small smile curled her lips. "Working."
"Well, I see that; but I meant here. In Georgetown."
"I'm living with my aunt."
Keith nodded like he understood and, for the first time, noticed the size of Brooke's stomach. "Does it have to do with...?" He gestured towards her belly.
"Yeah. But let's not talk about that. What are you doing here? It's an awfully long way from Tree Hill."
"I'm a teacher in Charleston – auto-shop. I moved down there at the beginning of the summer. How long have you been gone?"
"The last day of school. So, you're heading back to Tree Hill, then?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah. Thanksgiving with Karen and Lucas. Come to think of it, I remember Luke saying that Peyton was worried about you because she couldn't get a hold of you."
"Keith...I don't want to talk about them. I've been trying to forget about Tree Hill."
"Why?"
"Because...I'm not going back."
"Order up!" the waitress behind the counter called, holding up a plate, and looking at Brooke.
"That's yours. I'll be right back." Brooke retrieved the plate, and set it in front of him.
"So, what are you going to do?" Keith asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know yet. Right now, I'm just working on finishing up high school. I'll be done in a couple of weeks. Then...I don't know. Find a place around here, get a job."
"What are you running from?"
"I'm not sure...I know we got to know each other while me and Lucas were dating, but I'm just not comfortable with this. It's great to see you and everything..."
"Are you okay, Brooke?"
"I am. Now, eat before your food gets cold." She grinned at the look he gave her. "I'm just practicing."
When Brooke returned to get his plate and give him his ticket, he stopped her. "Brooke, what should I tell Lucas?"
"Nothing."
He followed her to the counter and waited by the cash register. She handed his plate to one of the workers in the kitchen. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what.
Brooke took the money he handed her, then gave him his change. "Keith, I've learned that everything happens for a reason. Like this. You coming here while I'm working isn't just a coincidence..."
Keith looked at her skeptically. "Why don't you want Lucas to know where you are?"
"I just don't. Please, just keep this a secret for now. I'll talk to him when I'm ready."
"All right. So...would it be okay if I stopped in again on my way back on Friday? You know, just to check in on you?"
"That would be fine, I guess. I work that evening."
"Then, I'll see you Friday."
"Bye, Keith. Have a good Thanksgiving."
"You, too."
###
A few hours later, Keith parked his car at the curb in front of Karen's house. He took a minute to gather his thoughts and his things, then headed up the front walk. He knocked on the door. A moment later, the curtain in the window was pulled back, revealing a grinning Lucas, who opened the door. Keith suddenly found himself in a bear-hug. "It's nice to see you, too, Luke...Now, you mind letting me go so I can breathe?" he wheezed.
Lucas released him and stepped back a foot or so. "Sorry. I'm just excited to see you." His lopsided grin was so wide, his eyes creased in the corners.
"I see that."
"Why didn't you just come in?"
"I should've – that way I would have been able to come up with a preemptive strike of some sort." He followed Lucas into the house. "Where's your mom?"
"At the café..." Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
"Just wondering. So, how's everything?"
"Good. Really good. We've started practice and, surprisingly, me and Nathan are getting along really well. So that's good – Haley appreciates it. Um, Peyton's going crazy – she's not sure if she can do the whole cheerleading thing without Brooke. I think that's what's been the hardest thing. Even after what happened..." He shook his head. "I just wish we knew where she was."
"Yeah, about Brooke..." Keith trailed off, not sure how to tell Lucas – not sure if he should even be telling him at all.. Well, he was telling him.
"What about her?"
"I saw her."
Lucas' eyes widened. "What? When? Where? Is she...?"
"Just...settle down a little, okay? I saw her recently. We talked for a little bit and she's doing good. She didn't want me to say anything to you."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I'm sure she has her reasons."
"You can't even tell me where she was?" Keith shook his head, so Lucas continued, "Was there anything...different...about her?"
Keith cocked his head to the side as he regarded Lucas. He got the sneaking suspicion that Lucas knew Brooke was pregnant. "I don't know...why?"
"I, um...She's been gone for, what? Six months? Something's probably changed."
"Something probably has, but I don't know what."
###
Later that evening, Lucas called Peyton. "Keith saw Brooke," he told her.
"What? When?"
"Recently, he said. He wouldn't tell me where. She asked him not to tell me anything."
"And he's not."
"No. Keith's a man of his word. If he told her he wouldn't tell, he's not going to."
Peyton was quiet for a long time. "But she's okay?"
"Yeah – he said that much."
"God, that...I don't know if I should feel better or not...I mean, she's okay – that's great. But why did she leave? What was so dire that she couldn't tell anybody where she was going? When I talked to her on the last day of school, we kind of made plans to do something over the summer...The she just disappeared."
Lucas still had yet to tell anybody about what Brooke had done and he didn't plan on doing it ever. He started to wonder why she'd left, too. Did she think he told everybody that she lied to him about being pregnant, so she was just trying to escape rumors? But there were no rumors because he didn't say anything. He still felt somewhat responsible.
"Luke? You there?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"Oh. What about?"
He didn't feel the need to lie. "Brooke."
Another long pause from Peyton's end. "Do you think it was because of us?"
Then there was that. Lucas tallied that up with the other possible reasons he was going through in his mind, but he didn't want Peyton to feel anymore guilty than she already did about the situation. "No, not about us. Like you said, you two were making plans."
"Luke...do you think we'll ever see her again?"
"To be completely honest?"
"Yeah."
"I don' think so."
###
"That was amazing, Karen," Keith said as they finished up dinner.
"Thank you," she replied, a small smile on her face, glancing down at her plate.
Lucas grinned, knowing what was going on between the two – or, at least, what he hoped was going on. "Why don't you guys take dessert into the living room and I'll clean up out here?" he suggested, cutting two pieces of pumpkin pie then adding whipped cream to the top.
Karen eyed her son suspiciously, accepting the offered plates and handing one to Keith. "All right."
Lucas began to clear the table, putting leftovers away in the fridge and scraping what was left on the plates into the garbage. He started to fill one side of the sink up with hot water and soap, then started to place the dishes into the soapy water. Working slowly, he washed and rinsed plates, glasses, and silverware, wanting to make sure that his mom and Keith had plenty of alone-time.
When he'd finished the dishes, he hovered in the doorway to the living room for a moment as he dried his hands on a dishtowel. He could hear pieces of the conversation going on in the other room. His mother's quiet voice was interrupted every now-and-then by her laugh, which was joined by Keith's. He stood there a while longer, and his mother's voice started to sound more serious. Lucas caught fragments of sentences – 'when you left,' 'afraid,' 'missed you,' 'so happy,' 'stay.' Then he heard, perfectly clear, Keith tell Karen, "I still love you. For sixteen years, and I've never stopped." There was a burst of happiness in Lucas' chest. He cautiously stuck his head into the living room. What he saw wasn't what he was expecting to see – his mom in the midst of a very passionate kiss with Keith. He quickly backed into the kitchen, suppressing the whoop of joy he felt rising within himself. However, he couldn't restrain himself from trying to make them feel at least a little embarrassed by making his presence known. "I've got everything cleaned up in here. I'm heading to bed. Goodnight, Keith. Mom – love you."
###
A week and a half after Thanksgiving, Lucas received a padded envelope in the mail, no return address. He opened it and found a jewel CD case inside. Inside the case was an unlabeled burned CD and a letter. It took him a moment to recognize the script his name was written in on the outside of the letter.
Lucas,
I'm sure that Keith told you that he saw me, regardless of the fact that I asked him not to tell. But, seeing as though that it is Keith, he probably just told you that he saw me and that I'm fine. And I am.
I wanted to apologize to you, but I wasn't quite sure how to put it into words. And I wanted to thank you. The enclosed CD covers both things for me, I hope. There's only one thing on it, so all you've got to do is push play.
Keith said you told him that Peyton has been seriously worried about me. Tell her not to worry – it's me, and I can take care of myself. Tell her I love her and I'm sorry for everything.
Tell Haley that I'm sorry I didn't get to know her better – she seemed like a really great person. Let her know that I would take back all the mean things I've ever done to her if I could.
And you. Good luck with everything and I wish you the very best. You deserve it so much. Be happy.
I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, and especially after that, not to worry about me, either.
I'm not sure what else to say. Hopefully the enclosed CD helps put into words my apology and my thanks.
Always,
Brooke
When Lucas put the CD in his stereo, he immediately recognized the song.
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
###
A few days after Lucas received the package from Brooke, he called Keith. When Keith was still reluctant to tell him where Brooke was, Lucas told him about what had happened with the pregnancy situation. Keith broke. "Yeah, she was most definitely pregnant."
"Did you ask her about it?"
"She asked me not to."
"She told me she wasn't, Keith. I could've been there for her through this."
"Luke, I don't know what happened between the two of you, or what happened to her in general, but Brooke was very adamant about not going back to Tree Hill."
"I need to find out if the baby's mine."
"I don't think it's my place, Luke."
"Keith, please? Tell me where she is?" Keith was silent for a long time, prompting Lucas to question, "Are you still there?"
"Yeah. Um, Georgetown. South Carolina. It's right off of Highway 17. She works at a café there – the Dogwood Café, I think."
"Thanks, Keith. I really appreciate this."
"Make sure you know what you're doing. She's a good girl in a tough spot."
"I'll be careful with her, don't worry."
###
Lucas was sitting in a booth back by the kitchen when Brooke showed up for work around 5pm Sunday afternoon. It had been raining all day; she was busy shaking water from her hair when she passed his table, and didn't see him there. He listened as she talked to another of the waitresses. "I'm sorry about being late. We were decorating the tree, then the rain-"
"Brooke, it's okay. Nobody wants you rushing," the woman said, laughing slightly.
"We don't have anything to worry about, Shel. I've got a few more weeks yet. But..."
"What?"
"I don't know...It just feels like it's time."
"Not tonight, dear. You've got three tables – gentleman at eight has been there longer than the rest. At least wait until your break to go into labor."
Brooke laughed with her and Lucas realized how much he missed the sound. "Very funny." She exited the kitchen, tying her apron around her once-slender waist; Lucas watched her from over the top of his menu. "What can I get you?" she asked without looking at him.
Lucas tried to say something, but no sound would come out of his mouth. He just stared at Brooke.
Finally, she lifted her gaze and their eyes met. She gasped. They continued to stare at each other until Brooke finally spoke, calling out to the other waitress. "Shel...call Diane. Tell her to meet me at the hospital with my bag...I think my water just broke."
Lucas' eyes went wide. "Brooke?"
She shook her head, strands of auburn hair falling in her face. "You shouldn't be here. Go home, Luke." She started for the front door.
"Where are you going?"
She looked at him incredulously. "The hospital. Duh."
"You can't drive yourself."
"Watch me."
"Let me take you."
Brooke paused in the doorway. "Fine. But that's it. You take me, then you go home. You shouldn't be here." She followed Lucas to his car, where he opened the door for her.
"Why did you...?" he started as he got in on the driver's side.
"Can we not do this now?"
"All right...So, where am I going?"
###
Lucas stayed close to Brooke as they were ushered through the hospital. "Is he the father?" a nursed asked Brooke.
"You haven't let me be here through any of this. Please, let me be here for you now," he pleaded.
"Yes," Brooke replied, not looking at Lucas.
###
It wasn't until after midnight that Brooke became fully dilated. She'd been in labor for hours and refused an epidural. Lucas held her hand as she pushed, brushed away a tear from her cheek, and kissed her sweaty forehead. "You're doing good," he whispered into her ear.
"One more big one," the doctor said from her spot between Brooke's knees.
Brooke pushed as hard as she could. As the baby cried, Brooke's eyes darted to Lucas' face. "Something's wrong..."
Lucas looked down at her, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"
Brooke's eyelids closed slowly as the beeping of one of the monitors quickened. "We've got a lot of blood here, people," the doctor called out to the nurses.
The nurse that had been cleaning up the baby left with it, two more aided the doctor – one down by Brooke's knees, the other up by the monitors – and another nurse was at Lucas' side, gently pulling him towards the exit. "Sir, it would be best if you could wait outside." She took him to a waiting room down the hall where he remained alone, for the better – or worse – part of an hour, wondering what was going on in the delivery room.
"Would you like to see your son, Mr....?" the nurse who had taken the baby asked when she entered the room.
"Scott," he supplied. "Yeah, I would." He followed her to the nursery where his son was the only baby there. He pointed to the incubator. "Why is he in there?"
"He's a bit premature, so we're going to keep him in there for a few days, maybe longer, to make sure his lungs are fully developed. It's precautionary."
"Oh. So I can't...hold him?"
The nurse smiled slightly as she shook her head. "Not yet. But there are gloves built into the side of the incubator. You can touch him."
"Okay." Lucas went over to the incubator and took a seat in the chair the other nurse had been sitting in. He put his hand in the glove and reached for the small hand of his son. The baby grasped it tighter than Lucas would have thought possible. He smiled. "Hey, there, little guy. How are you?"
###
Lucas fell asleep in the chair beside the baby's incubator. "Mr. Scott?" a woman questioned quietly so she wouldn't wake the sleeping infant. "Mr. Scott?"
She received a yawn in reply as Lucas roused, stretching sore muscles as he stood. "Yes?" His eyebrows raised and furrowed as he ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm Dr. Erica Saunders, Miss Davis' obstetrician." She offered her hand to Lucas which he promptly shook, then gestured back to the chair. "There were some complications during labor..."
Lucas sat down – he'd seen this conversation happen on TV before, and it never ended well. "Brooke...is she okay?"
"There was some postpartum bleeding – well, there was a lot of bleeding. I've never witnessed or heard of anything like this happening during birth. At first we couldn't find where-"
"Is she okay?" he repeated, heart thundering in his chest. He was suddenly consumed by an overwhelming fear. At first he wasn't sure what the fear was of.
Dr. Saunders sighed. "She's stable now; but there are no guarantees. We lost her – but only for a minute. She's in ICU. We had to do surgery to repair the damage to her-"
"Can I see her?" he interrupted.
"Not yet, Mr. Scott. We'll let you know when she wakes up. For now, you should just go home and get some rest. You can leave a number at which we can reach you with Nurse Peterson at the reception desk."
"I live over two hours away from here. I'd prefer to be here when Brooke wakes up."
"All right, then. I'll have Nurse Peterson set up a bed for you – for the night."
"Thanks, Doctor."
###
The following afternoon, Lucas called his mother. "Mom?" he questioned when she answered, feeling his fear from last night coming back full-force.
"Oh, Luke! I was getting worried. Did you talk to Brooke?"
"A little..." He paused, then regretted it because it allowed a sob to escape his throat.
"Luke? Honey, what's wrong?"
"Brooke had the baby last night...it's a little boy...He's so tiny, Mom...And Brooke..."
"Luke...?"
"The doctor said...She said that Brooke lost a lot of blood – they lost her for a minute-"
"But she's okay now?"
"For now. The doctor said 'no guarantees.' What's that supposed to mean?"
"Do you want me to come down there, honey?"
Lucas shook his head before realizing his mother couldn't see the motion over the phone. "No. I'll be fine." He glanced around and spotted Dr. Saunders at the end of the hall, heading towards him. "Um, I gotta go – the doctor is coming. I'll call you later?"
"Yeah. I love you."
"Love you, too, Mom." Lucas hung up the phone and looked at Dr. Saunders expectantly.
"Miss Davis is awake. I told her that you were still here – she wants to see you."
"Okay." He followed the doctor to Brooke's room in the ICU. A woman that looked a lot like Brooke was just leaving as they approached. Lucas watched Dr. Saunders leave before he went in. "Hey," he greeted quietly. When he didn't receive a response back, other than a raise of eyebrows from her, he continued, "Was that your mom?"
Brooke scoffed. "No. My aunt. I've been living with her and she's been taking care of me."
"Oh."
"Why are you still here, Luke? I told you to go home."
"Brooke, I couldn't leave you here like this – especially after the doctor told me they lost you once."
"I'm okay now. You can go."
"Why do you keep pushing me away? Whatever reason you had to do it before – I don't care what happened then. It doesn't matter anymore. We have a son and he's beautiful; and that we're together now is what matters."
Brooke drew in a shuddering breath. "I don't want you to be here because you feel obligated."
"That's not why I'm here."
"Then, why?"
Lucas didn't know what to say – he wasn't exactly sure why he was there. He knew, but he couldn't form the words. He wanted to be there. But, like Brooke asked, why?
"That's why I lied to you in the first place, Luke. You would only be here because you felt you had to be...You don't love me – you never did – and I'm not...I don't want to have a family like the one I grew up in."
That was it. Lucas was suddenly aware of why he had been so terrified the night before. Because of the feelings he had thought he had for Peyton, he never fully allowed himself to love Brooke. He'd known for awhile that he and Peyton would never be – besides, she was with Jake now – and he'd been thinking about what he'd hurt Brooke, and that what he felt was more than just guilt. "I love you."
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. "Don't tell me what I want to hear. Especially if you don't feel it...Don't lie about this."
Lucas moved closer to her, leaning against the metal bars of the side of the bed. Another tear started to slide down her cheek and he caught it with the backs of his fingers, brushing it away. "I love you. The thought of losing you made me realize that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm going to be here for you and our son because I love you."
Brooke started to cry, then repeated, "Are you sure?"
Lucas grinned at her. "Yes."
She smiled. "Can I see him?"
He kissed her forehead. "I'll get a nurse."
Two nurses returned with him, one pushing a wheelchair. Silently, the nurses went about their business helping Brooke into the chair and attaching the IV bag to the metal rod and hanger extending up from the back of the chair. The nurses left once Brooke was settle and Lucas took her to the nursery. One of the nurses from the night previous was standing next to the incubator, writing stats down on a clipboard. "Brooke!" she exclaimed quietly as she looked up.
"Hey, Cynthia," Brooke greeted.
"Baby Davis has some company."
"Baby Davis needs a new name."
Cynthia laughed. "What have you picked out?"
"I've been thinking about Travis," Brooke said, looking up at Lucas. "It means 'at the crossroads.' I kind of thought it was fitting." He nodded at her, a slight smile on his face.
"Travis Davis?" Cynthia asked, trying it out.
"No. Travis Scott." Brooke felt Lucas' hand slide over hers, then intertwine their fingers.
Cynthia smiled. "All right. Travis Scott. He's doing really good. Only a couple more days in the incubator, but we'll keep him here at the hospital for, maybe, another week. I was talking to Dr. Saunders earlier and she said that you should be fine to go home in a couple of days."
"Okay."
"Well, I'll leave you two alone. I'll be in the office right through there." She pointed to a set of doors, paused for a moment to look at Travis, then headed for the office.
Lucas pushed Brooke closer to the incubator so she could touch their son. "Oh...he's so beautiful...I can't believe we made this," she said as she shook her head in disbelief.
Crouching down at her side, Lucas looked up at her. "I can."
She slid her hand into the glove and tenderly stroked Travis' arm. He wrapped his tiny hand around her index finger in a tight fist. "He's got a grip on him. Football player? Throwing passes all the way across the field."
"Who knows."
"Nah. I think he'll play basketball – just like his daddy. Gotta keep the tradition alive. Besides, I think it's genetic."
"Well, I know of at least one thing that isn't," Lucas began, slipping his class ring off of his right ring-finger. He held the ring up to her as he lowered one knee to the linoleum floor. "Brooke, will you-"
"Yes," she interrupted, "of course." She let him slide the too-big ring onto her finger; he had to hold her hand steady, she was shaking so bad.
"You didn't even let me finish," he whispered against her lips before he kissed her.
She grinned at him and grasped his hand firmly. "I can't believe all this is happening."
"Neither can I."
"A year ago had someone told me this is where I was going to be..."
"I wouldn't have believed them either. Yet, here we are."
"Yeah. Here we are."