I'm Your Fiancé

Note: Brooke was pregnant in season 4. Same storyline happened through season 5 except for baby Angie, Brooke and Peyton never got close again and obviously Lucas and Brooke stayed close. Lucas and Peyton are engaged but Peyton has been staying in Miami to record a new band. Beth is Brooke and Luke's daughter.

"Lucas! Beth!" Brooke yelled as she walked into Lucas's childhood home. Her meeting this morning had went great. When she called Lucas at lunch to tell him, he had insisted they celebrate. They had agreed that she would come to his house and they would have her favorite, breakfast for dinner. "Where are you two?" she yelled out again.

"Hi Brooke," Peyton said curtly, as she was the first to enter Brooke's line of sight. Brooke's face fell, but she quickly covered up her foul mood before her daughter caught on. Brooke's face lit up as her daughter walked into the room. Beth let go of her father's hand and ran into her mother's arms.

"Mommy," Beth yelled as she jumped into her mother's arms. "Hello my little pumpkin," Brooke replied, "how was school today? Did you have fun with daddy? And Peyton's here what a surprise, huh?"

"Yea, mommy school was so fun, but," Beth turned to whisper in her mother's ear, "Peyton came and so I didn't get my daddy time." Brooke laughed silently. From an early age Beth had insisted she get daddy time, mommy time, and family time. She could tell by the scowl on her daughters face that the girl was not well pleased with how much daddy time Peyton had been talking up lately.

"I'm glad you had fun today. Why don't you go pick up your toys from the play room, pumpkin." Brooke replied with a smile. She set Beth down and sent her on her way.

"Would it be alright with you if Beth spent the night here? We rarely get family time just the three of us and we," Peyton said flashing her ring, "would really appreciate the time." That hit Brooke. She was wearing Karen's ring. The ring that she had always assumed she would one day wear. First, as Lucas' wife and then, when they had broken up, as the mother of his first child.

"Not tonight," Brooke said with a bit of defiance on her words, "Beth has school in the morning and we have a routine." As she said this she threw Lucas a look. Begging him to side with her, to understand the needs of their child.

"Lucas and I can take her to school in the morning, or better yet, she can just skip school tomorrow so the three of us can have a family day together," Peyton said.

"No, Peyton," this time it was Lucas to speak, "Brooke's right, Beth has a routine at home and she needs to go to school. Why don't you go get her ready for dinner?" Peyton's pouting now and Lucas knows he's going to pay for taking Brooke's side later, but he can't help it. When she shoots him that look, the I'm her mother look, the we're her family look he loses it. "Let's just eat," he pleads.

"Sorry, Lucas," Brooke is quick to find herself away out of this, "I forgot that I have sketches to work on that need to be done, can Beth and I take a rain check."

"Well why don't you two eat here? You're going to have to eat anyways." Lucas asks, he really hates that she's doing this. She and Beth will always be the most important girls in his life and he doesn't want her retreating.

"I'm sorry Lucas, I already ordered some Mexican for the two of us," she's lying through her teeth, she knows it, he knows it, she knows he knows it. But she also knows he'll never call her on it.

"Fine," he replies, "Tomorrow then, I have to take Peyton to the airport at 5:30, so maybe the three of us could eat around 6:30."

"That sounds good Lucas," she smiles, "thanks for understanding. I'm going to go grab Beth so we can start walking home."

"Oh, you walked?" Lucas asks nervously.

"Of course I walked," Brooke laughed, "It's a lovely day out and my house isn't that far."

"But, its dark out," he replies, "I don't want you walking home in the dark!"

"Lucas, this is Tree Hill, I've walked in the dark in New York before and nothing happened." Brooke sighs out. They have this conversation every time she walks. He doesn't trust her to be safe and she doesn't like feeling dependant on him. In the end she knows she'll give in and they'll both pretend he's only concerned with their daughter. Neither one ever mentioning that he doesn't ever state who he is worried for.

"Please Brooke; Beth has had a long day. I know this isn't New York and I know you can take care of yourself and Beth, but just let me do this, please, for my own sanity? Plus don't you need me to snake the drain for you?" Lucas throws in an extra reason to spend more time with her. He knows he should want to be home with his fiancé, but something doesn't feel right about her being in this house. The house him and Brooke bought after Beth was born while they were trying to be a family.

"Okay Lucas, just tonight you can drive us home for Beth's sake. But, don't worry about the drain… not tonight while you have time to spend with," she pauses slightly in a way that only Lucas will catch onto, "her." This is what their lives have turned into. Pretending they don't love each other and they are only involved for their daughter. "Beth, pumpkin it's time to go. Daddy's going to drive us home and then we're going to have some Mexican food and read a book before bed time."

"But mommy, Peyton said we could stay for dinner and I spend tonight here with Daddy," Beth pouts to her mother. Brooke's face drops because she knows saying no to her daughter is going to be almost impossible tonight. Her daughter has felt she is losing her "daddy time" because Peyton keeps coming to visit.

She is about to respond when Lucas jumps in, "How about daddy picks you up from school?" When he sees Brooke cringe slightly at this idea he quickly adds, "I can drop Peyton off at the airport early and you and I can spend the afternoon at the Rivercourt."

"Yay! Thank you daddy," she says with a huge smile.

Brooke smiles softly at him, "We should probably get going so we can get home and eat."

"Yea, of course, Peyt I'll be home in like 45 minutes." He knows she won't like this. Especially since it should only really take him 10 minutes to drive them home, but he wants to talk to Brooke, to reassure her that they are on the same side and no matter what her and Beth will come first.

"Lucas, do you have to go? Tonight is the only night I can be in town this week. We can walk down to your mother's house," her voice dripping with distain at the fact he gave his childhood home to his child and the love of his life. No wait, he means the mother of his child, "tomorrow and drive your car home."

"No Peyt, I can't, I promised Brooke I would get this drain snaked tonight because I didn't know you were coming. It needs to be done," he sighs slightly waiting for her to scream so he picks up Beth and his keys and walks out the door.