Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ONE TREE HILL OR ITS CHARACTER, NOR DO I OWN THE SONG. If I did own One Tree Hill trust me it would be a lot different. Naley would have a few more kids running around, Brooke would've been preggers in season 4 and Brucas/Jeyton would be endgame!! Sam would still be there too and Dan would be dead.

(AN: Song is "Beautiful Mistake" by Better Than Ezra. It is a great song and I just heard it and decided to make a BRUCAS angst fic to it. The characters will be very OOC, especially Lucas just to make it fit with the song. This an AU piece set in the future based on Brooke being pregnant for real in season 4. I am a hardcore Brucas fan but Lucas is an ass and I write angsty Brucas better. I don't believe that Lucas would've done this to Brooke if she was pregnant in season 4 but it's just a story. If you don't like angsty Brucas or happy Brulian than don't read!!

PHOTO STILLS
IN YOUR WALLET WITH THE UNPAID BILLS
AND YOU SHOW IT LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING
YOU COULD NEVER KNOW THE PAIN IT BRINGS

AND HERE YOU ARE
STANDING IN OUR DRIVE
(WHEN ABSENCE SUITS YOU BEST)
LETTERS AND YOUR CARDS
WITH NO RETURN ADDRESS

34 year old Lucas Scott stared at the picture one more time. She looked absolutely beautiful with her long reddish brown hair and gorgeous dimpled smile, which she had inherited from her mother. She was a carbon copy of her beautiful mother, with the exception of her blue eyes, which she had inherited from him. It was like déjà vu, almost like he was staring at a 16 year old Brooke again. They looked like they could've been twins.

It saddened him to think that he had given up this life for basketball. He thought choosing that life was more important but he had been wrong. Very wrong. Whenever someone asked him about his daughter, he showed them that very picture, with a great sense of pride. It didn't mean anything though because she wasn't his daughter. Maybe she had his genes and biologically yes, he was her father but she didn't think of him as her father. She thought of him as simply her sperm donor, and that's it. Nothing more.

He understood how she felt because he too had been in the same situation earlier in his life. His own father abandoned him at birth, and wanted nothing to do with him. He promised himself that he would NEVER do the same thing his father had done to him and his mother if he had children. Yet again he was very wrong. For 16 years he had lived with the regret of walking out on them and not a day went by where he wished he'd done things differently.

He thought he knew the pain that he had put Brooke and Sophia through but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he didn't. Brooke was a strong woman; she was good at hiding things. Even though she pretended that she didn't care, she did. She hated Lucas Scott for ruining her life. For leaving her daughter fatherless, especially after knowing the pain that it brings.

He would stand there in her driveway, whenever he just so happened to be in town and just stare at the door. He wanted so badly to knock, and to get to know his daughter but he could never bring himself to do it. He knew that it would just result in a door slammed in his face anyways so there was no use.

Lucas Scott was not the man he wanted to be. He had become the man he promised himself he'd never be. He'd become his father. He hated himself, for what he had put the only woman he's ever loved through and for what he's put his daughter through. 16 years of absence that he knows he can never make up for.

NOW YOU COME AROUND
NOW YOU COME AROUND
YOUR FAMILIAR SOUNDS
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL,
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE

What the hell is he doing here? He couldn't be here after 16 years of absence. It just wasn't fair. Brooke Davis glanced out the window and saw the man she hated with such a passion that it couldn't even be explained. He was standing there with his hands jammed in the front pocket of his jeans, not looking that much different than he had 16 years ago. He certainly had aged well.

She heard a knock on the door and grimaced. He wasn't worth it. He didn't deserve to meet his daughter. Sophia had a father. Julian Baker had taken Lucas's place. He had officially adopted her when she was 8 years old and became the fatherly figure in her life. She even called him dad. However, Brooke knew that she couldn't keep hiding from this forever. It was time to face the demons that haunted her.

Angrily, she whipped the front door open. "Brooke…" he breathed out, an evidently ashamed look on his face. "Lucas, what are you doing here?" she asked with a frightening scowl.

Lucas backed up a bit. "I uh… came here to see my daughter," he whispered, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Well, then you've come to the wrong place. Nobody around here wants to see you," she stated simply.

"Brooke, I don't expect after 16 years of absence for you to be kind about this but is there any chance I could meet her"?

"Oh so now you want to meet her. After 16 years without as much as a phone call? Well guess what Lucas it doesn't work like that. You chose this life. You chose basketball over your daughter and that's the price you pay. She doesn't want to see you Lucas. She has a father".

"She has a father?" he asked clearly confused.

"Yes, she does. His name is Julian Baker and he is a way better dad and a way better man than you'll ever be," she spat angrily.

"I didn't want this Brooke. I was young and foolish when I chose this life. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made and trust me I'm no stranger to mistakes. Not a day goes by where I don't think about her or you and not a day goes by where I don't wish that we we're a family".

"Well then I guess you should've thought about that before you abandoned us," she replied icily.

Just then as if on cue, a person came strolling through the door.

"Hey mom…" a voice called.

The younger brunette instantly froze as she saw the man standing next to her mother. Her biological father.

"Soph…" he mother's voice said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Who the hell do you think you are coming here now?" she spit out.

"I'm sorry. I made a mistake," he responds.

"You're just realizing that now"?

"I want you to be in my life".

"Well, you should've done that, I don't know maybe 16 years ago," she fires back, raising her voice at the last part.

"I was young and stupid and I thought I was making the right choice".

"Newsflash asshole, my mom was young too. You don't think she had dreams as well? She put them on hold for me and look at her now. She's not a washed up NBA star, she runs a multi-million dollar company and makes a hell of a lot more money than you do. She got the life she always wanted. A wonderful husband, a daughter who is her best friend, a mother who actually loves her, and the company she always yearned to run. She got her dreams too; she just had to wait a little longer for them".

"Sophia…" Lucas started.

"No," she cut him off. "Get the hell out of this house and don't come back. I don't want to see you ever again".

Just as Lucas was ready to turn around, a brunette man about the same height as Lucas walked through the door with a cute little girl that looked about 5. She looked just like Sophia but younger.

"Brooke, who is that and what was all that yelling for?" he questioned.

"Kennedy, go upstairs please," Brooke ordered the little girl.

"Mama…" the little girl whined.

"Kennedy, upstairs now," Brooke demanded losing her patience.

"Okay," the little girl said, trudging up the stairs.

"That," she said pointing at Lucas, "is my asshole of an ex-boyfriend also known as Lucas".

"Lucas. The one who abandoned Sophia right?" he smirked.

"Look, you don't know the circumstances," Lucas bit back.

"Lucas, Julian is my father now. I told you I don't need you, nor do I want you in my life," the teen interrupted.

"Lucas, I don't think you realize just what the hell you put these two through. When I met her 10 years ago she was so broken and it was hard to piece her back together. You sure did some damage," Julian added.

"Lucas just go," Brooke pleaded.

"Brooke…" he tried but was cut off by Julian.

"GET OUT NOW".

"Fine," Lucas huffed, turning and grabbing the knob.

"Just remember that no matter how bad I am at showing it, I love both of you with all my heart," he said to Brooke and Sophia, before walking out the door and out of their lives.

WAITING FOR THIS DAY
WELL I MEMORIZED THE THINGS I'D SAY
HOW YOU BROKE HER WHEN YOU DISAPPEARED
HOW I HEAR HER SAY,

"YOU'D MAKE YOUR FATHER PROUD."
IT ECHOES THROUGH THE YEARS
AS IF I COULD FORGET ALL A MOTHER'S TEARS

An hour later Sophia Baker sat curled up on her bed. She had imagined for a long time what she would say to Lucas if she ever saw him face to face. She felt that she had done a pretty good job although there were a few more things she might have wanted to say.

She heard a soft knock on the door.

"Yah," she called out.

"Hey Soph, supper's about ready," Julian's soft voice came from the other side.

"I'm not really hungry. I just want to be alone right now".

"Alright, I understand but if you need anything I'm here for you and so is your mother".

"Thank you," she replied.

"Oh and Julian," she added before he left.

"Yeah".

"I love you".

"I love you too Sophia".

FLASHBACK

"Mommy, why are you crying?" a 5 year old Sophia asked.

"Mommy's just sad," Brooke replied, wiping a tear from her perfect face.

"I don't like it when you're sad," the little girl stated, wrapping her arms around her mother.

"I don't either," Brooke whispered.

"Why are you sad?" Sophia asked, looking up at her mother with innocent eyes.

"It's complicated".

"Something I'll understand when I'm older?"

"Yeah," Brooke replied.

"I'm sick of grownups always saying I'll understand when I'm older. I want to understand now!" she demanded.

Brooke sighed. "It's your father".

"My daddy makes you sad?" she questioned.

"Yes".

"Why did he leave?" she asked.

"I can't answer that for you. Only he knows the answer to that. I guess that basketball was more important to him than we were."

"Did you love him? Like Auntie Haley loves Uncle Nathan"?

"Yes, I did. It was a long time ago though. I was young and I thought I loved him but I never thought the one person I loved most would hurt me the most".

Sophia frowned.

"What's wrong baby?" Brooke asked.

"I wish I had a dad like Jamie does".

"You have me and Uncle Nathan and Uncle Mouth," Brooke explained.

"I know but it's not the same," she said sadly.

"Your father would've been so proud of you Soph. I know he would've. I loved him so much and I know that you would've too if you'd had the chance".

Sophia yawned and Brooke let out a small laugh.

"Come on sleepyhead let's get you to bed," she smiled.

"I like it much better when you smile mommy," the little girl whispered.

Brooke led her daughter to her bedroom and tucked her in.

"I love you mommy," Sophia whispered.

"I love you too baby girl. Now get some sleep, we're going to see Grandma Victoria tomorrow".

Brooke smiled at her daughter one last time before time before shutting the door behind her. That little girl was her whole world and Lucas had missed out on that.

The minute she left the room Sophia heard the sobs coming from her mother. At that moment she decided that she hated her father because he had hurt her mother so much.

Sophia had to wipe the tears away as she pulled out of the memory. There had been many other nights like that where her mother had cried herself to sleep. Throughout the years she would lie in bed at night and listen to her mother's quiet sobs. She would never forget them because they broke her heart every time.

NOW YOU COME AROUND
NOW YOU COME AROUND
YOUR FAMILIAR SOUNDS
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL,
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE

Brooke Baker let out a heavy sigh as she lay down on her bed. She curled up under the covers and soon her husband's arms found their way around her waist.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what"?

"For burdening you with my problems," she replied.

"Remember we're married, they're my problems too," he laughed.

"I know but I can't figure out why the hell he would come around now. Why not 16 years ago? It's not fair to her and it's not fair to me. I get that he wants his daughter in his life but he should've though about that before he left us".

"He doesn't deserve to be in her life and I think he knows that Brooke".

"I love you, Julian. I didn't think that I would be able to love again after Lucas. I pretty much lost all hope in love but you proved me wrong. You did the one thing I always wanted Lucas to do for me, you fought for me".

Julian smiled, "I love you too, Brooke. And Lucas is an asshole, for abandoning you and Sophia. He really did fuck up and as much as it pains me to see you so hurt by it I'm glad he did because I gained the most amazing family in the process".

"Well, when you put it like that, I'm glad too," she smiled.

"Goodnight Julian," she whispered, before drifting off into a deep sleep.

NO, DON'T SAY A WORD
LEAVE WHILE YOU STILL CAN
PUT OUT YOUR LIGHT

NOW I GUESS YOU'RE GOING
A FIGURE THROUGH THE DOOR
AND YOUR TAILLIGHTS FADED
LIKE TWENTY YEARS BEFORE

20 years later

Sophia smiled as she watched the faded figure through the window in the dimly lit living room. 20 years ago he had shown up at her house looking for a second chance; a second chance that he was never going to get.

She did the opposite thing as mother though. She let him knock and she never answered. He didn't deserve to see her or meet his grandkids. He didn't deserve to be there for the most important parts of her life but yet still somehow he managed to get in.

When she graduated high school he was there, standing in the back, watching. He never said a word, he never congratulated her but she had seen him, smiling in the shadows.

He was also there when she had gotten married. He was standing at the back of the church with an amused smile as Julian gave her away. He never approached her and he never attended the reception but yet he had still been there.

He was at her college graduation too, and she had spotted him at the hospital when she gave birth to her daughter, and he was also there when she threw her first fashion show, alongside her mother. He was just another face in the crowd and that was all he'd ever be.

And now, there he was standing in her driveway. A reminiscent of 20 years ago. He never said anything but he was always just there. It had become a routine, a few knocks, then just a lost figure standing there waiting for an answer he knew he wasn't going to get, then a pair of faded taillights, dejectedly exiting the driveway. This wasn't the end, she knew he'd be back. He always was.

NOW YOU COME AROUND
NOW YOU COME AROUND
YOUR FAMILIAR SOUNDS
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL,
WE ARE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE

They were always going to be a mistake, both Brooke and Sophia. They were always going to be just another chapter in the life of Lucas Scott, just another road block standing in the way of his dreams. They would never mean anything more. They were nothing more than a beautiful mistake, a beautiful mistake that Lucas Scott could never fix.

(AN: So there it is. I know it's very OOC but in order to make it fit the song it had to be. Not the best I know but I really like the song and I think that although it works better for Karen/Lucas/Dan I'd change it up a little bit. I am a Brucas fan but I do have a soft spot for Brulian.)