Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill

Title: Never Better

Author: ReadingRed

Chapter One: Water Works

It was a typical day in the Scott house. A child yelling, one crying, a few laughing, and if the parents were lucky, one or two sleeping.

Logan, the oldest of the Scott children at eight years of age, was screaming down the hallway that it wasn't fair that her cousin Jamie had a cell phone when she did not.

Seven year old Brennan was crying, holding his skinned knee to his chest and waiting for his mom to come and kiss it and make it feel better.

Six year old twins, Liam and Bryce, were laughing hysterically at their father who was trying in vain to fix the leaky pipe underneath the sink.

Four year old Levi was sleeping on the sofa in front of the TV, having found cartoon's much too boring to stay awake for. The youngest Scott, ten month old Bailey Peyton, was sleeping as well, curled up on the floor, holding fast to a purple monkey.

Brooke Scott smiled to herself as she took in all the sounds that greeted her as she entered the house. Even Logan's yelling was a welcomed sound after the day she had had. Brennan saw her as she came in the door and he raced to be the first to reach her.

The seven year old crashed into her side and looked up at her with his big eyes that were mirror images of her own. "Mama, I'm so glad you're back. Logan won't stop yelling and Daddy broke the sink, and I hurt my knee!" Brennan told her at an incredibly fast pace.

Brooke smiled down at his and lifted him into her arms. She twisted the boy so he was cradled with one of her arms around his back and the other under his knees. She bent her head and gave both knees a quick peck. "Better?" she asked.

"Yep!" he answered happily. Brooke set him back down on his feet and Brennan ran off. He was getting too big for her to pick up, Brooke thought to herself sadly. Her first little boy was growing up, and Brooke wasn't sure she was ready for it.

"Wait! Did you say Daddy broke the sink?" she yelled after Brennan. The little boy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"Yep! He broke it. Water was spilling out everywhere, all over the kitchen floor. He's trying to fix it but… I think he should stick to writing" Brennan said with a smile, showing off his recent understanding of sarcasm.

Brooke hurried to the kitchen and found Lucas lying on the floor, his head and shoulders underneath the sink, trying in vain to fix the broken sink. Her twin boys were splashing in the small puddles that had formed on the tile floor of their kitchen.

"Hey Broody, what's going on?" Brooke questioned as she leaned on the counter top watching her husband work. Lucas sat up at the sound of her voice and hit his head on the underside of the sink.

"Damn it!" he cursed, sending both boys into hysterical laughter. Lucas slid out from under the sink and shot the laughing boys a look, before speaking to his wife.

"Brooke… you're home" he said walking towards her. His shirt was soaking wet making it cling to his body in just the right way. Looking at her husband, Brooke could understand why men would watch wet t-shirt contests.

"I sure am" answered him. "You know, you could just call a plumber right?"

"Ah, but if I did that you wouldn't get to come home to this" Luke said with a smile, motioning to his body with a wave of his hand.

"In that case… thanks" Brooke said with a grin. A mischievous grin took hold of Luke's face as he stepped even closer to Brooke. All of a sudden Luke's arms shot out and wrapped around Brooke, pulling her into his sopping wet chest.

"Lucas! Let go!" Brooke said, pushing against his chest as she squirmed in his arms, trying to distance herself from the water.

Luke held on even tighter and leaned down for a kiss. Brooke responded in kind, and she stopped struggling to leave his embrace. Their romantic kiss was ended by an "oh gross" from Logan as she entered the kitchen to see her parents.

Luke let Brooke go and she now reluctantly left his arms. "Hey baby girl" Brooke said with a smile to her oldest child.

Logan immediately took on a sad demeanor and rushed into her mother's arms. Brooke looked at Luke startled. Luke just shrugged, silently communicating that he didn't know what was going on either.

"Mama" Logan sad through her tears. "Daddy won't let me get a cell phone."

Brooke had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Her daughter was the oddest mix of herself and Luke. At one moment Logan would be a complete tom boy, playing basketball with her brothers or cousin, and then in the next moment she would be the most dramatic child you've ever met.

"Oh, you poor thing" Brooke said as she stroked her daughters hair. "I don't know what your daddy was thinking, not giving you everything you want."

Logan seemed to realize then, that Brooke was united with Lucas on this matter and she left her mothers' arms.

"No cell phone?" she asked.

"No cell phone" Brooke answered.

Logan shrugged as if she knew that would be the answer and left the kitchen, calling out to her brother as she did.

"Brennan, let's go play ball. You need the practice" Logan's voice said as it carried through the large house.

"She's been on about the cell phone since they got off the bus this afternoon" Luke informed her. Brooke nodded her understanding.

"Hey Luke" she said looking up at her husband.

"Yeah Pretty Girl?" Luke asked.

"Call a plumber"

"You got it" he replied with a smile.

AN: review please, they make my day. I made a video for Too Bad and added in a little from this story if you guys want to take a look. Here's the link.

http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=6OzconxQK28