Author's Note: So this story is a sequel to 'Beginning of Always', which was kind of a sequel to 'Never Gone Away'. But you don't need to read either of them to read this, although it wouldn't hurt! A few characters from Beginning of Always turn up in this, and some stuff will be referred to, but the story should work on its own.

Oh yeah, and the title is from Paul McCartney's 'A Long and Winding Road', so...thanks to him for that!

Disclaimer: I could totally own OTH, if I just became an American, had a sex change, aged quite a bit, cut my hair, changed my name to Josh Schwartz and killed the other one. Except I just got a hair cut and I kinda like it so it would be a bummer to have to change it again.

We're heading straight into the middle of things, cause I bet you guys aren't even reading this, so I hope you like the story!

Chapter One: The Beginning

Lucas looked up and smiled as he saw Brooke enter their room. "Hey babe."

She half nodded to him, her expression something between happy and terrified. He raised his eyebrows as she went over and turned off their CD player.

"Okay…" he said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Bad class?"

"Um…no. I have some…well I don't know. Kind of news…but maybe not…"

Lucas moved so he was sitting facing her and rubbed her knee. "What's up?"

Brooke exhaled slowly and then turned to him. "Okay. Um…I'm late."

There was silence for a second and then Lucas opened his mouth. "As in…?"

"Yeah."

"Did you take a test?"

She was surprised to see a hint of a smile on his lips. She only felt like throwing up. "Not yet. I was going to but then I wanted to kind of…warn you first. Which is totally selfish because actually I just didn't want to do the whole waiting and worrying thing on my own but - "

"No no, I'm glad you told me. I want to do this with you," he said quickly. "Shall we…I mean, do you want to do it know?"

Brooke hesitated and then nodded. He nodded too, smiling at her reassuringly, and took her hand, leading her out of the room.

Brooke leant her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Oh my god Luke…how did we let this happen again?"

Lucas dragged his eyes away from the timer and went over to her. "Brooke we didn't do anything…okay so we haven't been all that careful recently but this is totally different from last time. We're in love, and older, and - "

"We're still in college!"

"Lots of people have babies in college."

Brooke gave him a look.

"Okay maybe not lots, but it's not as big of a deal as in high school. And anyway, it's senior year."

"That's all very well for you to say, you're not the one who would be doing their finals heavily pregnant!"

"Brooke, if this test is positive you know I will help you as much as I can, okay? And I'm sure the professors would help too…maybe you could take a semester off and then finish off afterwards?"

"Oh yeah, with a screaming baby around, I'm sure that would work great!"

He took another step towards her and wrapped his arms round her, pulling her tightly against his chest. "I know this is so scary for you," he whispered against her hair. "And believe me I'm scared too. But if this is really happening then we'll get through it together, okay?"

He felt her nod against his chest and her fingers dig into his back. He stroked her hair and looked over her shoulder at the timer. "Come on," he said gently, dropping a kiss on her head, "It's time."

She drew back from him slowly and took his hand, turning towards the counter. She took a breath and then reached out and flipped over the test.

There was silence for a second and then Brooke spoke: "I'm pregnant," she said simply.

She turned towards him and he looked into her eyes. She bit her lip as she felt tears welling up, not really sure why. His heart was racing, but he smiled softly at her, reaching out and cupping her cheek, and because he didn't really know what else to say, he said, "I love you."

She wrapped her arms round his neck, smiling through tears that were now rolling down her cheeks. "Oh my god Luke…"

She drew back slowly, wiping away her tears.

"We're going to have a baby," he said quietly.

"Yeah…" She let out a breath and smiled. "We're going to have a baby…"

Lucas opened his apartment door, and smiled.

"Daddy!" his daughter squealed and reached out her arms. Lucas laughed and picked her up, kissing her head before he turned to her mother, who was also smiling.

"Hi, um, she has some homework, which she needs to do," Brooke explained, "And is it okay if Lucy comes round to play tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Lucas said, "You have homework?" he asked his daughter, "Wow you're getting so grown up!"

"I have to do spelling," she said proudly.

"Hi Brooke," a woman had come into the large main room of the apartment, and smiled at her boyfriend's ex.

"Hi Emma," Brooke's voice was equally amiable, but both women felt the slight awkwardness that hung in the air whenever they were around each other.

"Okay, well, I will see you next Saturday, and I will see you after school on Monday," she kissed her daughter goodbye, and gave Lucas a brief kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Brooke, bye," he shut the door behind her, and put his daughter down, watching her run to her room happily.

If anyone had told him in high school that one day he would be in a perfectly functioning joint custody arrangement with Brooke Davis, he would have thought they were crazy. He had always thought he and Brooke would be together forever, or if not would end in a blaze of fury that left them both scarred and heartbroken. When they had found out Brooke was pregnant, this was the last way he saw it turning out.

He was thankful though that they had made it work, for the sake of their daughter and themselves. When their relationship had fallen apart Lucas was devastated, but they had worked really hard to ensure their daughter would be loved by both of them and would not have to stand parents who could not be in the same room as each other.

Sure, after the break up they had had their fair share of blazing rows at first, but as some of these had ended up in them having passionate sex in one or other of their apartments they realised there was no way they would be able to live without each other.

They needed each other in their lives, and as they had gotten older and more mature, they had worked out a way for their relationship to work without them actually being in a relationship. Now they did not see each other very often, but they felt very much connected by the little girl they had brought into the world.

"Dad!"

Lucas chuckled as he heard his daughter's shout. He caught Emma's eye and she smiled over the top of the newspaper she was reading. Standing up, he went to go see what she wanted.

"You called?" he said with a smile as he entered the little girl's room.

"Well yeah! I'm here to see you doofus, not to sit around in here while you read the paper."

Lucas raised an eyebrow as he came to sit down in her large armchair. "Well someone's demanding today."

Amy shrugged. "I feel like being difficult."

"Uh huh. Alright then, what can I do for you?"

"Well…you could make me some banana pancakes…"

"Didn't you have breakfast with your mom?"

"Um…yeah…"

He chuckled. "We can have banana pancakes tomorrow."

Amy pouted and came and crawled into her Dad's lap. "How about we have them for lunch?"

"That would be a little weird."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Well then you gotta play with me."

"Okay, what do you want to play? And also, how come last week you wanted nothing to do with me and kept moaning about how you were missing mom's show, and this week I'm meant to be at your constant beck and call?"

"Six year olds are allowed to be demanding Dad, we're prone to mood swings."

"Oh yeah, who says?"

"Um…Carrie? I don't know I overheard someone talking to Mom about it. Anyway, last week I was missing Mom's show, and also, why are you questioning this? You should be overjoyed to spend time with me."

He laughed. "Of course I am baby girl, come on then, pick a game…"

"Sweet dreams baby," Lucas whispered as he pulled up Amy's duvet.

"I'm not a baby."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "You're my baby."

There was silence while Amy considered this. "Fine."

"Settled?"

"I guess. Goodnight."

He chuckled quietly. "Night."

"I love you dad."

"Love you too Ames."

Lucas turned down the light and pulled the door halfway shut, going back into the living room. Emma looked up, "Is she in bed?"

"Yeah, lights out and everything."

Emma smiled and stood up. "I think I'm going to go to bed too, I've got a paper to read."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

She kissed him briefly as she left the room, and he heard her say goodnight to Amy on her way to their room.

Lucas went over to the couch and sat down, turning on the TV. He flicked through the channels but there was absolutely nothing on, so he turned it off again and instead headed down the hall. Passing Amy's room he stopped by the door and looked in. She was asleep; he could make out her face in the near darkness, her expression peaceful and her eyes closed, her soft eyelashes casting a delicate shadow across her face.

He smiled as he watched her. He loved having her here, being the one to put her to bed and watch over her. He envied Brooke being able to do it everyday, but she was generous about the weekends; she let him have Amy almost every weekend that he didn't have an away game.

He looked around Amy's room; he couldn't believe she was nearly seven. So much had happened since he and Brooke had been preparing for her arrival, but in some ways it seemed like no time at all…

"Ugh! I hate being pregnant." Brooke flopped down on their bed, kicking off her shoes. Lucas turned round from his desk and smiled sympathetically. "Are you still getting morning sickness?"

"It's now afternoon and evening sickness. And also, I think I might have a stretch mark!"

"Oh how terrible."

"I know!"

"I was being sarcastic," he said chuckling, as he came over the bed.

"Well I wasn't!" She moved over and he lay down next to her, propping himself up on one elbow and resting his hand on her stomach, running his fingers over the curve that was beginning to form.

She placed her hand over his and her expression softened. He leant over and kissed the side of her head. "Have you felt it kick yet?" he asked, his voice appropriately quiet for the fact that he was right next to her ear.

"No, I would've told you!"

"Just checking! Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

Brooke considered, "Maybe a boy."

Lucas nodded slowly, tracing his fingers over her skin. "I think it's girl."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Just to be difficult."

Lucas chuckled. "No I really do! And I bet she has brown eyes."

"No, I hope they're blue."

Lucas shook his head slowly, his lips against her hair again. "I hope she looks just like you…"

Lucas smiled to himself as he looked at Amy. After all, it wasn't often with Brooke that he got his way.

Brooke Davis yawned and rubbed her eyes as she read the sheet in front of her. After a couple of minutes she gave up, and stood up from the table, twisting her hair into a bun as she went to the fridge.

Pouring herself a glass of juice she returned the carton to its place and headed out of the kitchen, flicking off the light on her way out. She sighed as she passed her daughter's room; she still missed her when she wasn't there, even though she really should be used to it by now.

Unable to face evening rituals such as brushing her teeth and getting changed just yet, she flopped down on her bed and turned on the TV, finding an old Friends re-run to keep her entertained. She picked up her phone from her bedside table where she had left it earlier, and saw she had a couple of messages. She rolled her eyes as she listened to Tish going on and on about the party they had been at earlier, and how Brooke really should have stayed.

The next one was from Carrie, congratulating Brooke on cutting out early and moaning about how she had had to talk to 'the most boring guys in the world' about the stock market for half an hour. Brooke smiled to herself as she dialled Carrie's number. It was picked up immediately.

"Oh hey, what's that, an emergency? Give me one second…"

Brooke waited as she heard noises in the background, and then her friend returned. "Oh my god thank you so much for calling! Seriously I do not know how I get sucked into those conversations!"

"Caz why don't you just leave?" Brooke asked chuckling.

"I am, I'm going right now. Jesus is it just me or are people actually getting duller?"

"It's not just you. Although, I think it's just the people at those parties."

"So rich people? Yeah I think you're right."

"You're rich Carrie."

"And so are you! Wow maybe we're both really boring."

"I think it's just the bankers and stuff. The really rich people."

"Who sadly we have to talk to so they give us money to fund our various creative and devastatingly interesting projects."

"Exactly. Speaking of, how's it going? Are you going to get this production company off the ground or what?"

"I don't know…oh hang on…sorry, just getting a cab. I might have made a break through but…well I'll tell you about it soon, it might be nothing."

"How mysterious."

"So what are you doing? Is Ames with Luke?"

"Yup, I'm here on my own watching Friends."

"Ooh which episode?"

"The one where Chandler proposes."

"Oh cute! Although he looked weird in the episode."

"Ugh, I know. Anyway, are we having lunch tomorrow?"

"Yup, and did you say something about Hales being in town?"

"Next weekend."

"Oh yeah, okay well then it's just us. Unless…Trish?"

"No way, she's so annoying Carrie!"

"You really should be nicer to your co-workers B, no one likes a bitch!"

"Hey! I am so not a bitch!"

"Yeah sure…" Carrie giggled. "Although I agree, she's a tad annoying. So I'll see you at…one?"

"Make it twelve, I have to do some work in the afternoon."

"Okay, see you then babe."

"Yup, bye Carrie."

When she'd plugged her phone into its charger she turned back to the TV. The episode was almost at an end, at the emotional last scene with candles and crying etc. Brooke sighed as she contemplated switching channels. But she smiled a little to herself and didn't; she knew if she was going to she would have already. As soon as she'd seen which episode it was she'd realised what was coming: inevitable memories…

"So that went pretty well," Brooke said, leaning her head against Lucas shoulder as they walked down the street.

"Yeah it did. Anyway it doesn't really matter what Dan thinks."

"I guess, but it's good to know he's on board, at least this kid is going to have one grandfather…"

"Brooke why don't you just call them?"

Brooke shrugged. "It's only been a couple of weeks… I will soon. Anyway it doesn't matter right now."

Lucas stayed silent. Tonight wasn't the night to discuss that.

"I'm still so relieved your mom didn't freak out," Brooke said.

"Me too, she actually seemed really happy."

Brooke smiled. "She's going to be the youngest grandmother ever…"

"Yeah I don't think she's going to like being called a 'grandmother'."

Brooke giggled. "Well that's not surprising considering she's not even forty!"

Lucas chuckled and Brooke suddenly looked around them. "Broody…front door?" They were heading round the side of Lucas' old house. Lucas shrugged. "It's such a nice evening, we could sit outside for a bit."

Brooke shrugged. "Okay. Is Karen home?"

"No, she and Andy went out."

Brooke nodded slowly, feeling slightly confused. They sat on the back steps, looking up at the stars, which were oddly bright. Or maybe it was just because they were used to the night sky in the city, where the lights dimmed the effect.

"God it's beautiful…" Brooke whispered. Lucas wrapped an arm round her and kissed the side of her head. She looked up at him and smiled. "I love you."

He smiled back, kissing her softly. "I love you too, so much. And…I have something I want to ask you."

She nodded, and then looked down as she noticed he was holding both her hands in his, his thumb gently rubbing the ring on her right hand that he had given her two years ago.

"It's something I've wanted to ask you for a really long time…and maybe the timing has something to do with…recent events, but I want you to know that the reason is not to do with that."

Brooke opened her mouth slightly, her breath catching in her throat.

"The reason is that I love you. That's the simplest way I can put it; I love yo, more than I could ever say, but I think that you might know…because I don't think you could make me feel like that if you didn't feel it too."

He saw her smile even as tears began to form in her eyes.

"So I want to ask you this because of that; because I can't imagine my life without you and I don't want to; because you're it for me."

He reached into his pocket and shifted slightly so he was on one knee on the lower step, still facing her. He opened the little red velvet box and heard her intake of breath. He waited till she looked back into his eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

A smile broke across her face as the first tears began to fall. "Yes!"

He smiled as he met her lips, cupping her cheek as she kissed him. When they broke apart he took the ring out of the box and gently slid it onto her finger.

"Lucas…this is so beautiful. When did you…?"

Lucas smiled. "Um…I've kind of had it stashed away for a little while."

"Saved for the day when you knocked me up?"

"Hey, were you not listening? That is not what this is about."

"I know, I was kidding! And yes, I was listening, although I was kind of freaking out at the same time, it was beautiful."

He smiled and she looked down at the ring again, tracing her finger over the band and stone. "Seriously when did you get this?"

"Well before that one," he said, nodding to her other ring. "I er…saw it when I was Christmas shopping that year," he explained, as she looked up with raised eyebrows, "And it just seemed to perfect too let it go."

Brooke smiled and looked back down at it. "God it is." She leaned up and kissed him again. "This was amazing Lucas."

"I was going to do candles and everything," he said, standing up and pulling her up too, "but then I figured that the stars would be beautiful enough."

Brooke smiled as she looked out at the sky, and Lucas turned round and opened the door going back into the house. He smiled as Brooke turned and gasped.

"…but then I thought, you only get to do this once, and I think you're worth a little trouble…"

There were candles everywhere. Over every surface, all glittering and casting their light around the hall. Rose petals covered the floor, and there were single long stemmed ones on the furniture. Brooke's favourite flowers stood in vases in amazing collections.

Brooke remained open mouthed as Lucas pulled her into his arms, wrapping them round her from behind. He followed her as she slowly went inside, before turning to face him.

She simply shook her head, at a complete loss for words, before she suddenly through her arms round him, laughing as he hugged her.

Brooke smiled sadly as the episode came to an end, with Monica and Chandler slow dancing quietly. She lifted a hand and slowly wiped a single tear from beneath her eye.

It was okay to think about him sometimes.

Please review! Cause if you don't they'll be stuck apart forever...
I'm always really nervous about new stories, and since I've kind of done a one eighty with the storyline I hope everyone likes it! There's lots of good stuff to come, flashbacks (all will be explained…) and maybe a few 'chance' meetings to get things started…