"You're Mom took a chance on me. I was 17 and had a 1 year old child. She believed that I was a good person when everybody else in the town called me a slut. She took a chance that I would turn out to be a good kid, and look at me!" I told my arms out and step back. "I'm 19 years old, I've been working here two years and I started college last fall. I have a beautiful three year old daughter who is the reason I get up in the mornings." I feel the tears brimming just thinking about it. "Lucas Scott, are you telling me that that woman in that room doesn't have the biggest heart you've ever seen?" I point toward the front of the café. "Dude, you have to go in there. This is her day, and weather you got friends, enemies or idiots in there with her, she choices them to be here. Don't mess this up for her Luke!" I look at the man bending over the workspace counter as he survey's me.

"When did you get so smart? You were just some snot noise kid working here when I came back to town." Lucas gives me a cockeyed smile.

"Over night, when I had a baby remember?" I say with a slight laugh.

"I don't remember you having her, but I remember the first day you worked here." Lucas pops a piece of chocolate in his mouth, "You had Megan on one hip and was taking orders with your free hand. My mother was sure you were going to screw up every order you took, but she let you do it anyways."
"That's because you're mother has a wonderful heart Lucas. And you're going to go back in there, because you have that same heart." I pause and look at him. "I know it's gotta be hard watching Payton with Jake, but you can do this."

Lucas stands up and comes around the counter closing the space between us. "You really think this is about that?" He touches my cheek slightly. "Heather I can't stand to be in the room with you and not touch you."

"Lucas, I told you, we gotta wait. At least let things with you're mother get going, let her start her new life, and then we'll figure out what this is." I sigh, and take in the sent of him. He smells like man, like muscle and cologne.

"Why can't we do this? I'm not that much older then you. I'm only 22." Lucas tilts my head slightly so that I am looking at him.

"Because I have to make sure. I can't just jump in head first. There's a very attached little girl, and I can't let her get hurt." I search his eyes for understanding.

"I know she's attached to you. I know the two of you are a package deal." Lucas's eyes search mine and for a moment I am lost in his eyes.

"Lucas she's attached to you too, and if something went horribly wrong and..." I feel close to tears.

"Nothing would ever stop me from seeing Megan, and I don't think I could ever go without you." Lucas's hand slowly glides down my cheek to my neck and I suck in a breath. "Heather please."

I close my eyes and feel my heart race, I wanted this, honestly I did. He was the first man since Megan's father that made my heart race, made me go into sweats just thinking about him. But was it really worth the risk? Could I let this man hold me without losing the friend he had become? I wasn't sure. I felt his lips on mine and I tried not to kiss back but I had to. I simply had to kiss him, I couldn't stop myself.

"Luke?" Comes a voice at the door. We pull apart and look toward the blond standing there. Payton. Her brown eyes searched the room. "You're mom's looking for you" she said and turned to leave.

"Payton." I said without thinking. Payton turns to smile at me, as Luke looks down at me. "Could I talk to Payton for a second?" I ask. Lucas seems to think it over for a moment before shaking his head yes and exciting. I wait a long moment before turning to face the blond again. "I'm sorry."

"Look he's all yours honey, he's a good guy, just be careful. He's a heart breaker." Payton holds her hands up with her palms out but smiles.

"No, I mean…. I'm sorry he broke your heart. I was always jealous of you, because you captivated him." I turn my back on Payton and walk over to the stove. "I don't know what I'm doing with him." I turn back to face her. "I know it's hard for him to see you with Jake. But, I just…" I try to put my emotions into words.

"Look, Lucas is over me. I see it in his eyes, there's nothing more then friendship. But with you I see something else. I know you got a lot of…" Payton stops to think of the right word.

"Baggage." I supply.

"Yeah. That didn't come out right, what I'm trying to say is I know there's a lot at stake, but you gotta give him a chance. He's happy when he's around you, I can just see how good you are for him. It's always been there." Payton makes her way over to me and looks into my eyes. For the first time I can see the truth in her brown eyes, this was her way of giving me Lucas. But yet, did I really want him?

"Okay so please tell me this is not a cat fight?" Says a brunette from the doorway.

"No, I gave up catfights." Payton smiles before turning to face Brooke.

"That's to bad, coulda been fun." Brooke makes a face then smiles.

"When did you get to town?" I ask as I survey the young slender woman.

"Oh just know. Thought I would pop in." Brooke smiles at me. "How ya been girly?" She comes over and gives me a hug.

"Busy." I laugh. "You look, amazing as always."

"Why thank you thank you." Brooke turns around.

"And she's still modest." Payton laughs as she watches her old friend. Finally Brooke pulls her in for a hug.

"So, saw Jake out there… anything you want to tell you're best friend of…" Brooke scrunches her noise trying to think, "however many years it's been." She shakes her head a little.

"We're back together if that's what you mean." Payton plants a duh look on her face before laughing.

"Yeah, that's what I mean!" Brooke rolls her eyes.

"I should get back to the party." I say before flashing the two girls a smile and turning to leave. I make my way back out front to find Lucas setting on a stool at the counter looking sullen. I shake my head and go over to set beside him. "When I said you should come back out here, I kinda meant you should talk to people as well."

"Oh right, cause I'm just so excited about this." Lucas turns to face me and rolls his eyes.

"I was wrong this wasn't about Payton it's about her," I point to Karen, Luke's Mom. "And her getting married."

"I just don't know Heather." Lucas watches his mother laugh.

"What's not to know, she's happy, and he adores her and Lily." I lay my hand on Lucas's knee.

"I donno, I was never like this when they were dating." Lucas doesn't look at me.

"You were a teenager when they were dating right?" I watch Lucas's eyes fill with memories.

"Yeah, I thought it was a great thing, but since Keith…" Lucas suddenly turns to me.

"I know Luke, but he's gonna treat her right. Andy is a good man, you gotta know that somewhere deep inside. You have to be happy for her." I search his eyes again, but can find only a sadness that I can't understand.

"I wanted Lily to know her father. I wanted Keith to adopt me." Lucas's eyes stare over my head. "I wanted everything to be perfect, but without Keith…. I don't know if there's anybody else I trust my mother to." I can hear the tears in her voice although they've yet to crack the surface. Before I realize what is happening my hand in on his cheek, his eyes meet mind.

"Lucas, what would Keith say? If he saw her this happy?" I watch as he looks over my face.

"He would say he was glad." He finally answers. "He would think it was great that she was finally happy."

"Then that's what you have to say." I say quietly.

"I know that." I can see the light bulb go off in Lucas's eyes. He finally gets it. "I just didn't understand it, but he would want her to be happy, he would want her to move on, he would want this wedding to go forward. He was such a great man; I wish you could have met him."

"I do too, cause I hear you're a lot like him." I push my hand against his chest right over his heart. "Megan thinks you are great. She's amazed when she feels you're heart beating." I say as I feel his heart beat against my hand.

"Megan is a great girl Heather. And she's got a great mother." Lucas puts his hand over my own. "But that heart is flawed."

I look up into his eyes, "All good hearts are Lucas. Yours is flawed physically, mine is scared emotionally. The only one whose heart hasn't been broken is Megan's. And I couldn't bare it if her heart was broken."

"I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't do that to you." Lucas takes my other hand in his. "We could go slowly; we could do this one step at a time."

I stand up and put my lips on Lucas's, the whole room spins. There's not a noise in the room, until finally I hear Brooke let out a slight scream. I pull myself away and see that all eyes are on me. Even Lucas's eyes are upon me. "Um, sorry." I say embarrassed.

"Don't be." Karen says with a smile. "I'm glad to see you two working things out."

I give a slight laugh, "Thanks." My eyes float back to Lucas's eyes, where I see the passion that's been gone for so long.

"It's you." He says softly. "You're the cure for my writers block" A smile slowly crosses his face.

"How could I??" I ask softly.

"Because, you make me see the world in a whole new way." Lucas kisses my hand softly before getting off the stool and going to a laptop on a side table. I watch more in amusement then anything as he begins to type.

"Looks like you inspired him" Brooke comes up behind me.

"I think he inspired me." I turn to her.

"Look it's none of my business, but I think the two of you, make a pretty good pair." Brooke gives me a sly smile. "I mean me and Chase make a great pair, but you two make a good one too."

"Where is Chase?" I ask searching the room for the black headed young man.

"He's at a skate thing. He'll be in tomorrow though." Brooke sets down beside me. "It's amazing to be back here, with all of us here at ounce."

"Yeah, must be." I say.

"You've worked here what two years?" Brooke looks sideways at me.

"Yup." I answer.

"Cool. Are Haley and Nathan going to be here?" Brooke's mind has a tendency to wonder from one topic to another.

I smile to myself. "Um, I donno. I think it depends on how Haley is feeling."

Brooke frowns, "She's sick? I've got to fit her for her dress tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be at the fitting." I smiles to myself, knowing that Haley isn't exactly sick.

"What do you know?" Brooke points her finger at me suddenly.

"I don't know anything." I try to look innocent.

"You do to!" Brooke's green eyes light with excitement.

"I know that I'm going to get my butt kicked if I tell you anything." I say.

"Oh!" Brooke says. "You gotta tell me!"

"I can't!" I say, and try not to laugh.