AN: So, I know I've been MIA for the past few months but, I've been really busy with school and just uninspired. Well, I went and saw Mat Kearney Friday night and hearing his song 'Chicago' really made me want to write this one shot. Please tell me what you think and I'll try to update something soon enough.
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He's not quite sure what to expect when he arrives in Chicago; cold weather, strong winds, even some snow perhaps. But, one thing's for sure, the girl that has his heart is there, and when he steps off that plane, he hopes that they'll be able to start their life together again.
Staring at the crumpled piece of paper resting on the end table, Lucas grabs it and scans over the note again. It's been five months since Brooke's departure and each time he reads the note, he still can't fathom the fact she's gone.
The paragraph message is written in her bubbly handwriting, her signature hearts on top of each letter I carefully drawn. He's not sure what she did, but he can still faintly make out the smell of her perfume covering the paper and the small red lips at the end, make him long for the taste of the strawberry lip gloss she always wore when they kissed. He could tell she was crying when she wrote the letter; the part about what she was exactly doing in Chicago was smudged and he couldn't figure out what it said for the life of him.
"Please don't go, Brooke," Lucas pleads, holding onto her arm tightly when her flight is finally called. They had been at the airport for nearly four hours and they were both beginning to snap at each other. "What can I do to make you stay?"
"I have to go," her voice cracks as her hazel eyes begin to shimmer in the light. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and to pass it up…"
"I understand."
"You don't need to lie to me," Brooke tells him sadly, standing on her tip toes to wrap her arms around his neck. Lucas leans his forehead against hers and ignores the voice telling them her flight to Chicago is continuing to board. "I'm so sorry for leaving you like this, Luke, I'm so sorry."
"Like you said, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Lucas forces a smile, lifting her into his arms when she begins to sob into his chest. "Don't cry, pretty girl, we'll be together again someday."
"Do you mean that?" Brooke asks, the tinge of hope in her voice sending shivers down his spine. He nods his head, his thumb rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. "You'll, you'll come to Chicago and see me?"
Lucas falls silent, kissing her forehead before speaking. "I'll tell you what. If I can save up enough money, I'll come see you as soon as I can, okay?"
"Promise?"
"I promise, Brooke, I promise," he's quick to say, the crack in her voice slicing his fragile heart in two. It's times like these where he wishes he was strong enough to sew it back together and make her tears go away before she heads off. "You better get going; you'll miss your flight."
Brooke swallows past the lump in her throat, shaking her head petulantly when the realization hits. "Lucas, no, I don't want to go anymore," she whimpers, burying her face deep into his broad shoulder. "I can't go, not like this."
She leans up and pushes her lips against his, her tongue begging for entrance when he's reluctant to return the kiss. It's only going to make things worse, but he finally caves, tugging on her bottom lip when she stands back on her tip toes. He wants to snake his hand under her tiny tank top and caress the soft skin of her stomach, whisper how much he loves her in her ear, run his fingers through her silky soft hair, anything to delay her leaving.
"Final call for flight 134 going to Chicago, once again, this is the final boarding call."
Finally, Lucas pulls back to grab her forearms and swing them back and forth gently when she sniffles back the tears. "You better go, Brooke."
"Keep in touch?" Brooke pleads as she grabs her carry on, planting one last kiss on his lips before she walks away slowly, her gaze never leaving his. "I love you."
"I love you too," Lucas finally whispers after she disappears, his hands covering his face as he tries not to breakdown in the middle of the airport. "God, I love you too."
His pretty girl is gone and for now, there's nothing he can do about it.
With a small sigh, Lucas slips the piece of paper in his back pocket and reaches for the duffle bag his mother insisted on him packing. It had been over 180 days (it's not like he was counting or anything) since he's last seen Brooke and in a few hours they'd be reunited again. It scares him a little bit to think of what will happen. Did Brooke move on while she was away? Did she even remember what he looked like? What if something terrible happens and he doesn't get the chance to tell her how sorry he is for not keeping in touch over the course of five months?
Her letters hurt to read. Just seeing her handwriting was enough to drive him crazy and the one lone voice mail she left was the only thing he had left to cling to. Her voice soothed him and when he was feeling down, he'd listen to the saved voicemail and repeat it over and over again just to hear her raspy voice say how much she loves him and how badly she misses him.
"Flight 134 to Chicago is now boarding, once again, flight 134 to Chicago is now boarding."
How ironic, he thinks to himself, it's the same flight Brooke was on.
Once he gets settled into his seat, Lucas makes an effort to converse with the older gentleman sitting beside him. He misunderstands his name and calls him Frank, when it's really Francis but in his defense, he went to school with a kid named Frank who the teacher only called Francis when he was in trouble. When Francis seems to fall asleep after the plane takes off, he leans back in his chair and gazes out the window, watching the fluffy clouds dissolve into thin air when the plane passes through them.
"A sheep!"
"A sheep? Brooke, that does not look like a sheep!"
"It does too," Brooke sticks her tongue out in defense, settling her head down on Lucas' chest. Running her fingers over the blacktop, she lets out a dreamy sigh and smiles when she feels his hands running through her ponytail. "You're no fun playing cloud shapes, Broody. That definitely looked like a sheep."
"Fine," Lucas rolls his eyes. "It looked like a sheep, are you happy?"
"Very!" she squeals delightfully, pecking his cheek lightly. She knows he's lying just to make her happy, but that's all she needs to hear. He's willing to let her win and she loves that about him.
It's a nice spring day and the two are stretched out on the pavement at the Rivercourt, gazing up at the gorgeous sky while periodically blurting out what the clouds overhead resembled. Lucas made sure to scoff at each and everyone of Brooke's guesses (shoes, a purse, lipstick) just to tease her and see her bottom lip jut out just so he can reach up and kiss it. She has no protests about it and lies on top of him, taking in the scent of his cologne and closes her eyes when his hands rub the small of her back.
"I could stay like this forever," Brooke mumbles into his ear, nibbling it gently when he moans in agreement, drumming his fingers on her back when she remains silent. "Except this is getting uncomfortable, you're kinda lumpy."
"You're kinda bony," Lucas retorts, effortlessly lifting her over his head, grinning when she squeals in surprise. "I bet I could bench press you."
"Gee, I'm so glad," Brooke says sarcastically, kissing the tip of his nose when he settles her back down on top of him. "Maybe you should tell Whitey instead of using weights, you need to use your super hot girlfriend. If you're good, I'll let you bench press me naked," she winks, slapping his cheeks lightly. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you!"
"Careful," Lucas moans as her elbows dig into his chest, scrunching up his nose when she rolls her eyes and waits for him to answer. "Tell me what? Hurry before my hair goes grey."
"I got this fashion internship in Chicago! How amazing is that?" Brooke babbles, unaware of the hurt flashing across Lucas' face. "I guess they saw my designs and they really want me to work with them in the fall!"
"What about college?"
"It can wait."
So, it was settled. When fall came, Brooke went off to Chicago while Lucas stayed behind in Tree Hill, attending UNC to be closer to his mother.
When the flight attendant announces they'll be in Chicago soon, Lucas begins to fidget in his seat, the nerves kicking in as Francis simply laughs from beside him.
"You must be going to meet a girl."
"Is it that obvious?" Lucas asks sheepishly, cracking his knuckles, a bad habit that Brooke yelled at him day after day, telling him he'll end up with arthritis. "Yeah, my girlfriend…she left five months ago for a fashion internship and I haven't seen her since."
"Oh, I know how you feel," Francis nods, chuckling when Luke raises an eyebrow.
"Your girlfriend did the same?"
"No, no," the older man corrects with a smile. "I travel a lot for business and I haven't seen my wife, Irma, in a few months. I guess that's the price you pay for providing for your family."
"Yeah," Lucas whispers, letting out a deep breath as he locks eyes with the balding man sitting on his left. "How do you do it? How do you stand being away from her so long?"
"It's hard," Francis begins, looking down at his feet before turning to Lucas. "But, I love her and she loves me, plain and simple. Our hearts are one and when we long for each other, the pangs just get worse and worse. But, knowing when all the obstacles we have to go through to see each other again are completed, it's well worth it to step off that plane and see the woman you've loved for so long standing there with open arms. Just seeing that beautiful smile of hers makes me love her all over again and the pain in your heart…it just goes away just like that," he snaps his finger, falling silent afterwards.
"And it's all worth it? Being away for so long?"
"It's tough at first," Francis shrugs, deciding not to sugar coat anything. "You get used to it after a while, I mean, it becomes like a routine. Have you and your girlfriend kept in touch at all while she's away?"
"Sort of," Lucas whispers. "She's been really busy, you know? She's designing clothes and fitting the models for the fashion shows. It's funny, who would have known that out of all people, Brooke Davis would be working her little butt off to make a name for herself."
"So, she wears the pants in her family, eh?"
"Hey," Lucas laughs, his heart fluttering just thinking about Brooke. "I'm so proud of her, but at the same time, I keep wondering if this will all work out."
"Is she the one?"
"She's the one," Lucas answered quickly, his tone confidant and assuring.
"How did you know?"
"I just…I just knew," he blinks, sincerity written all over his face when he meets the older man's gaze. "We're complete opposites, but we just mesh well together, you know? She's a cheerleader so she's got all this energy and she can cheer you up, even on your darkest days. She's got these quarter size dimples that make her smile so beautiful, and brown hair that always smells…I don't know exactly what it smells like, it just smells like her. It's hers and hers alone. And she's got this beauty mark on her cheek that she hates. She thinks it's a total flaw, but to me, it's amazing. She's got other imperfections, she's only human, but I find them all so beautiful. Like, the way she squeals like a pig when you tickle her too long, or how she constantly nags me for leaving the toilet seat up and shit, I must be boring you."
Francis waves him off, signaling it's okay. He can see the passion in the young man's eyes and lets out a wistful sigh, patting Lucas on the shoulder. "She really is the one."
"I knew it from the day we stopped sleeping a space apart," Lucas tells him, remembering the day when Brooke finally let her guard down and finally began to be her true self. "She was a wild girl and usually left before the morning came, but that one day…I woke up and she was tangled up in the blankets next to me. It was nice to wake up to something other than a messy bed and cold sheets."
"Good luck," Francis tells him with a genuine smile once the plane lands, turning back on his heel to give him one last piece of advice. "Remember, your hearts are one. If she really is the one for you, the pain that makes your heart tick will go away once you lay your eyes on her."
Lucas smiles at Francis and thanks him immensely for his help. Grabbing his carry-on bag from the compartment overhead, he takes a deep breath as he steps off the plane, scanning through the crowd to find the one person who will be able to mend his cracked heart once and for all.
"L-Luke?"
Hearing her voice send shivers down his spine and for the most part, he's afraid to turn around and face her. What if it was just silly teenage love and they weren't meant to be? What if Francis is wrong and she can't stop the pain burrowed deep inside his heart?"
"Turn around," Brooke commands softly, throwing herself into his arms before he even has the chance to look her up and down. "God, I've missed you so much," she cries into his ear, sniffling audibly once he sets her down to her feet. "How are you?"
"I'm…" he trails off suddenly, eyes locked on her protruding stomach. "Jesus Christ, you're pregnant?"
"Yeah," Brooke says in confusion, rubbing her bump proudly. "Didn't you get my last letter? I thought I mentioned it."
"It was smudged," he snaps, his sudden mood change makes her cower back. "God, this can't be happening…you can't be pregnant, Brooke."
"I'm five months along," she tells him, her voice shaky when he doesn't meet her gaze. "I don't know what to say…I'm sorry, I thought you knew."
"Who's the father?"
"W-what?"
He's tired of beating around the bush. "Who's the guy you fucked?"
Her hazel eyes well up with tears and she's debating whether or not to run away and leave him stranded alone in the airport. "No one! I haven't been with anyone."
"Then who's the father?"
"You're her father," Brooke finally finds her voice, the icy tone making Lucas wince as he curses repeatedly in his head. "Did you really think I would cheat on you? I would never ever do that to you! I love you and only you, I thought you knew that."
"I do, I do," Lucas assures her, grateful that she's accepting his hug. "I'm sorry, Brooke, God, I'm so sorry," he whispers into her hair, that comforting scent filling his nose when she shifts under his grip. "You're having a baby girl?"
"No, we're having a baby girl," Brooke swallows, fearing he won't want to be in her life anymore now that he knows the truth. "I found out I was pregnant when I got here and I tried calling you and telling you, but I was so scared that I wrote the letter and just cried and cried…"
"And you smudged that part, pretty girl," he laughs, kissing her temple softly. Brooke gives him a dimply smile at the nickname. There were many days where she longed to hear his voice calling her that. "We're having a baby…"
"Yep," Brooke nods her head fearfully, wincing when the unborn child inside of her begins to kick her feet rapidly against her stomach. "I think she's going to be a soccer player if she keeps this up…"
Lucas chuckles, bending down to his knees to get eye level with her stomach. In the middle of the crowded airport, he lifts her shirt before pressing his lips against the bare skin, feeling the movements of his daughter against them. "Hi, little girl," his voice cracks in pride, brushing his thumb across Brooke's lower abdomen. "Daddy's here."
He stands up and pulls Brooke into his arms, rocking her gently when the tears begin to fall down her beautiful face. She's got the pregnancy glow that adds to her beauty and knowing she's the mother of his child makes everything Francis said true.
"I love you, Lucas," Brooke finally gets out through her tears, letting her lips linger on his while he caresses the soft skin of her stomach gently. "And I know, I know this is a surprise and changes everything, but-"
"I love you too," Lucas cuts her off, sweeping her off the ground and careful not to crush their baby girl growing inside of her. "You're right, this does change everything, but its okay. I'm here and this just makes it all right. We're meant to be together and I don't care how much crap we get for this, you're it, you're the one for me, Brooke and I'll do anything to spend the rest of my life with you."
Brooke's sure she looks like a raccoon by now; the tears won't stop pooling down her cheeks and her mascara is all over the place. She's placing the blame on her pregnancy, but the tick in her heart that used to drive her nuts, is different this time. All the pain amplified by the distance seems to go away with the snap of a finger and Lucas just stares at her knowingly, the smile on his face telling her he feels it too.
Catching Francis across the airport with his wife, Lucas nods his head gratefully, everything the older man said coming to life. His heart is no longer broken and he now knows what to expect in Chicago; the beginning of a new life that makes all the time and distance he spent away from Brooke well worth it. Their hearts are one now and there is nothing out there strong enough to break that.