Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: There are moments we find ourselves at crossroads, afraid, confused with out a roadmap; the choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days.

Authors Note: Hello, hello my oh so amazing readers. There isn't much to say about this chapter, only that I am hoping and praying it gets more reviews then that last one, I know this is a re write but I really want to know what you guys think, I want to make sure that this one is the best it can be and I can't make sure of that with out your help. This chapter is extra long… for me anyway… so please; let me know what you all think. And for those of you who did last time…

Thanks you are at the bottom.


When Your Dreams Died

Chapter Two: But It's All Going To Change

Don't be scared of anything at all
Everything we have is all we need
All the spotlights streaming into angry skies
Means there's no one watching as we leave

It was still early as Brooke made her way down the somewhat messy New York streets. She loved mornings when she could walk to work. New York City truly was one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the fact that she had a chance to live in it was remarkable to Brooke. She found herself taking it for granted at times, and so days like this always made her feel more in touch with the city that she was residing in.

Casey was looking down at her phone as she typed on the Blackberry furiously. She didn't look up once, and she didn't need to since she had hers and Brooke route memorized. Brooke laughed slightly as the curly blond turned right and made her way in to the coffee shop, still not looking up from the phone until the two made there way over to the counter.

"I hate that thing" an old man, just around fifty said, setting two mugs in front of the girls before grabbing his coffee pot and filling them.

"You are just mad because you are too old to know how it works" Casey said taking one of the steaming cups. "This is regular right, you aren't trying to get me to drink decafe again, because the last time you did that I fell asleep at my desk."

"Well maybe if you wouldn't be out all night" the old man said.

"That is what they make regular coffee."

"Case, you fall asleep at your desk regardless so what does it matter?" Brooke questioned taking a sip of her coffee.

"See I always liked her, she is always on my side…"

"That is just because she doesn't want to have to pay for her coffee." Casey huffed

"You're just bitter" the man teased as Casey took a sip and made a face.

"No, this coffee is what is bitter" she said pushing it away.

"No matter what I do I just can't make her happy" he shrugged to Brooke with a laugh.

"It is just about impossible" Brooke smiled giving the old man a wink.

"You are telling me..." he grunted.

"Alright are you two done whining about how horrible it is to have me in your lives yet cause we are going to be late for work" Casey huffed, causing both Brooke and the old man to laugh.

"Yes, yes we are done picking on you for the day, let's go."

Brooke smiled, leaving a five on the counter. "Thanks Edward"

"Brooke Davis, you better put the money back in your pocket before I wipe my counter with it!"

"Just take it as a tip" she winked "See you later…"

"Have a good day girls" he smiled with a sigh at her stubbornness. "Try and behave."

"We will" Casey called over her shoulder as she pulled Brooke out of the small café as the two continued their venture to their office.

As they walked back out onto the street, she admired the city once again. The further they walked, the busier the streets became. They were bustling with people, cars were honking here and there, and in contradiction to the small-town girl that loved the quiet coffee shop, there was an inner part of Brooke that loved the city, loved the noise and the chatter, a part of Brooke that was born to live in a place like this, despite the aching she felt to be somewhere else.

As she walked though, her thoughts shifted from what she should do tonight, to the conversation her and Haley had had that morning over breakfast as a small building came into view. It was one she had seen before but paid no attention to, but now, with a 'Coming Soon' sign standing firmly in place in front of the construction site, she found herself carefully studying the vicinity. It was clearly nowhere near being put together yet, the outside was still being built.

The buzzing roar of a truck started Brooke who turned her head to see a bright, yellow tractor whirring noisily as it dug into the ground. She jumped out of the way and pressed herself against the wall when three men carrying a load of bricks shoved past her.

"Brooke, are you trying to get yourself killed? My god…" Casey said looking up from her phone. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I am fine" she said, standing outside for a moment, watching as the men in yellow helmets walked around, each doing specific jobs. It was loud—the workers yelled and the machines whirred—but that was typical New York. Letting out a breath and pushing her hair behind her ear, she looked up at the building once more.

"Um, you know what Case; I totally forgot something at home. I'm going to have to go back. You should go though; I don't want you to be late too…"

"But the apartment is like ten blocks away."

"It's okay; I'll just get a cab."

"You sure you are okay?" Casey questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I am totally fine" Brooke said, letting out the breath she was holding as she continued to study the building, forcing out a smile for Casey.

"Well, I do need to get going, so you are sure you are okay going by your self?"

"Yep I will meet you there" Brooke said with a nod to her friend.

"Alright, but… be careful."

Brooke laughed "Alright" and with that Casey gave her one last questioning look before she turned and made her way down the busy streets, disappearing in to the mass of people before Brooke turned back to the building. She glanced around to see if anyone was paying any sort of attention to her, and when she saw they were all engrossed in their chores, she swiftly slid past them and into the open room.

It was quieter in there than it was out there, yet it was completely empty. The walls were gray, the floors sandy, proving that barely any construction had taken place in there. Her eyes scanned the room, and she tried to picture it with maroon walls, dressed tables, candlelight, the sound of music playing softly, and then a familiar face flashed into her mind and disappeared as fast as it came.

"Excuse me?" a deep, gruff voice bellowed, and Brooke turned around sharply with a gasp, holding her hand to her chest.

She exhaled when she saw it was a construction worker, and by the way his eyebrow rose in question and his hands stood on his hips; she realized he had been calling her for quite some time.

"Yo, lady, you can't be in here." His voice was rough, jagged even, and the years of tobacco check showed clearly as his rotting teeth appeared. "We wouldn't want you to break one of your pretty little nails now, would we? So let's go. Move it or lose it, princess."

"I, um," she stammered. It was odd that she would do this, though. Normally, she would never have let anyone, especially construction workers, talk to her like that.

"Take it easy, Morris," said another deep voice behind her and Brooke sighed in annoyance, ready to turn around and give the next fat guy a piece of her mind.

"Listen here," she started as she turned around. However, instead of being greeted with the sight of dark circles and fat rolls, she was surprised with sparkling blue eyes and a killer smile, finding herself at a loss of words again.

"Brooke?" he asked.

"Uh, um, what-What are you-Who," she stammered, cursing herself under breath as she shut her eyes tightly, placing a hand on her forehead. She let out a breath and dropped her hand, opening her eyes again to find soft eyes and a comforting smile staring at her.

"Hi," she tried again, forcing a smile on her face.

"Hi…"

His voice was full of laughter, probably caused by her way of stumbling over her words. But then, once the 'hellos' were out, a silence hung in the air and they just stared at each other, neither knowing quite what to say or do.

Then a forgotten voice behind them spoke roughly, "Boss?"

"Huh?" asked Lucas unintelligently as he reluctantly tore his eyes away from the brunette, a smile still gracing his face.

Morris blatantly pointed at Brooke with his eyebrows and asked, "You gonna keep her here, boss?"

"Um, yeah," he smiled, his eyes focused on Brooke. "Hey, um, I think Louis is calling for you in the back. Why don't you go see what he needs?"

"Damn morons, I am telling you, these people don't know shit from bricks, I gotta do everything around here!" Morris grumbled as he slumped away.

"Well, he is just a ball of sunshine," Brooke smiled.

"Sorry about him."

"Eh, it's okay. I get worse everyday on the way to work. Only, normally, it is whistles and cat calls."

He smiled at her in response, and then the silence came again, and with it an awkward tension.

Brooke's eyes skimmed around the place, trying to keep herself occupied.

In an attempt to break the ice, Lucas cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest and saying, "So, uh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm not really sure to be honest," Brooke said, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Would you by any chance be looking for me?" he asked with a sudden boldness and a hopeful expression that looked like a smug smile to Brooke.

"Something like that," she muttered under her breath as she peered at him through her lashes.

It had been years since she's last seen him, but his face was one she would never forget. His shaggy blonde hair was shorter than it had been—she thanked God for that—a 5 o'clock shadow marring his face. Four years ago, he was much skinnier, despite the hours he spent in the gym. However, it was clear this was not the case this time around; his biceps stretched his shirt, and a hard chest wasn't difficult to notice. The rugged look suited him well, Brooke thought with a smile, her tongue peeking out to moisten her lips.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, Brooke tried speaking again. "The, uh, the place is coming along real nice."

"How did you know—?"

"Haley and Nathan stayed with me last night."

"Oh, right," he said, nodding his head.

And then a third silence fell upon them and they both looked away nervously, stealing glances at each other as they tired to figure out what to say.

She picked at invisible lint from her outfit and he inspected his nails carefully.

The sound of rumbling machines and mad men were heard from outside.

A man in a dirty uniform, holding a screw driver in one hand and a wooden board in the other came inside to walk past Lucas and Brooke.

He didn't get past Brooke, though, instead stopping to look her up and down with hungry eyes and let out a whistle. "Damn," he exclaimed, smug smile on his face.

Brooke turned to him with a hand on her hip and a disgusted look on her face. "Excuse me?" she asked, eyebrow raised in annoyance.

The man's smile remained on his face and he moved closer to answer.

"Get your ass back to work," commanded Lucas quickly, moving closer to Brooke possessively.

"I'm going. I'm going," said the guy, holding up his hands in defense and taking a step back. He looked at Brooke again, who seemed to be more annoyed now, and smiled once again, winking at her.

Lucas' glare hardened and the man drew back with a grumble, turning to walk away.

"Sorry about that. I think it is time I sat down with my workers."

She smiled. "It's fine—really. If anything, in a totally gross, disgustingly weird way, it is somewhat gratifying, I guess."

He chuckled at her statement, saying nothing else.

"So, uh, what made you decide to do it?" she asked.

"Do What?" He asked

"This..." Brooke said looking around the empty room

"Something new, I guess," he shrugged.

"Well, don't you sound inspired," she joked.

He let out a laugh before shaking his head. "No, the inspiration isn't a problem, trust me. That hit me strongly back in Tree Hill."

"Then what is?" Brooke asked curiously.

"Nothing," he smiled. "There is no problem now."

She nodded slowly. "Well, I should probably get back to work," Brooke said sheepishly, kicking a pebble at her feet.

"Yeah, of course. It was great seeing you."

"You, too," she smiled. "I'll see you."

"Come in anytime."

"For sure," she said. "Bye, Luke."

"Bye, Brooke," he smiled as her body started walking in the direction of the doorway. He, for some reason, however, stayed glued in place, watching her figure before she stopped walking and turned around.

"Lucas," she called.

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully.

"You look good."

"You, too," he smiled.

Say the first thing that
Comes into your mind when you see me
If it looks like it works and it feels like it works
Then it works
With the sun on your face
All these worries will soon disappear
Just follow me now

Xxx

She scribbled distractedly on her sketchpad, pen lazily moving around to form little bundles of pink hearts. Her head lay titled in one hand, her eyes glazed over and she seemed to be deep in thought, mind in a daze.

Sitting atop Casey's desk, one leg over the other so that the skin tight pants stretched across his firm thighs, Dante, a thin black bold man, who worked with Brooke and Casey, stared at her wonderingly, a hand over one of his legs, the other supporting him on the desk. "What do you think she's thinking about?" he said in a low voice, turning his head ever so slightly to the left, keeping his eyes locked on Brooke.

Casey shrugged as she moved about on her chair, stacking papers and taking calls. "Who knows?"

"Well, stop working and try and help me figure it out," Dante demanded.

"Don't you have work to do?" Casey asked, all the while continuing her work.

He waved a hand in her direction. "This is so much more important," he said with a smile.

Casey rolled her eyes and dropped a stack of papers on her desk in front of her, finally taking a look at Brooke. "Okay, look, nothing is wrong with her. She's...drawing for the fashion line," she said, turning back to her computer.

Dante opened his mouth in an inaudible gasp. "How can you say that? Look at her!" he whispered commandingly.

Rolling her eyes again, Casey turned back to the brunette sitting at her desk.

Now, the pen was sitting on the pad, and Brooke's head lay still in her hand, her arm crossed under her.

"She looks like a poor little kitten," continued Dante.

Casey had now decided that Dante was right and stopped the little work she was doing and examined her roommate. "Hey, you know, she was acting weird this morning . . ."

"Really?" asked Dante, turning in his spot to face Casey with a smile like that of a Cheshire cat. "So, spill," he said, touching her hand quickly.

"Okay, well, we had coffee at the café like every morning, and we left and were walking down the street and we got to the restaurant that is being build down on 5th—"

"Oh, you mean The Red Feather? I heard it's going to be fabulous!" Dante gushed. "And the owner—totally hot!"

"I know, right?!" Casey smiled. "But I think Brooke knows him... or something, because we got in front of it and she just totally froze up, and you know I saw pictures back from her Hicksville days and he looks exactly like the guy…"

"Lucky bitch. Please tell me he is giving her what she so desperately needs."

"I don't know I didn't ask, but I mean, she was being really weird… so I guess you never know…"

"Oh, my God. Thank God. I was wor-Wait a minute! She can't be sleeping with him. She is depressed."

"Maybe he is bad," Casey shrugged.

"Maybe . . ." Dante paused to ponder, hitting his index finger to his lips as he looked to the ceiling of the office, Casey taking a moment to think as well.

"You two do know that I am sitting all of two feet away from you and can hear every word you are saying, right?" Brooke finally spoke.

"So do you care to join in on the conversation?" asked Casey, abandoning her work and leaning over her desk with a large smile on her face.

"No, not really," Brooke said, giving out a large sarcastic smile. She looked down to her nails, biting at the cuticles.

"Stop it. You are going to make them ugly," Dante said, smacking her hand away, earning a glare from an already on edge Brooke. "So tell us, Brookie, darling. What is up your ass today? Or better yet, who?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Don't you have work to do?"

"Most likely," he droned.

"Then why don't you do it?"

"Oh, this is so much more fun, darling," he smiled, only causing a groan and an eye roll to come from her.

"Why are you guys more interested in my life than you are in yours?" Brooke asked, glaring at the two.

"Because Casey is a slut and, well, being as fabulous as I am gets rather boring. So spill already: How is he?"

"And 'he' would be?" Brooke questioned.

"Oh, don't you play stupid with me, missy. He' who has you spacing out and brooding."

"Brooding?" she asked incredulously. "I'm not brooding," she said, touching a hand to her chest. "I am sitting here...doing my work." She gave them a smile and ripped the first page off of her sketch pad, placing the cap back on her pink pen. "I do not brood." Standing up, she picked up the sketch pad, holding it to her side and throwing the pen in her purse. "Lucas broods," she grumbled under her breath. She walked over to the other side of the desk, grabbed the paper and crumpled it in a ball. "I am cheery!" The paper landed directly in the bin. Huffing, blowing her bangs out of her face, she let out a breath and poised herself, looking at the two, who both had an eyebrow raised as they stared at her. "And now," she said in a calmer voice, "I am hungry and you two need to get lives and get out of mine in the mean time. I am done being the object of your gossip fest. Goodbye."

She strutted off madly, heels clicking against the marble floor, auburn locks flying behind her.

"Oh, yeah. They are totally not having sex," Dante said after a minute or two of silence.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely not," Casey firmly agreed.

I find careful patterns in the snow
It seems you did come round but changed your mind
If you'd just take ten more steps to me
I won't ever ask you again

Xxx

"So are you going to tell me about what happened this morning or am I just going to have to assume Dante is right?" Casey asked as her and Brooke picked at their salads.

"Nothing happened this morning; I really don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh please. You froze up like an ice cube when we got to that restaurant and I remember reading an article about it and there was a picture of the owner, and lets just say he looked it exactly like another picture you showed me of a certain boy from your past who just happens to…"

"It is him, he moved here a few months ago, Haley told me this morning" Brooke said softly, cutting Casey off as she pushed the contents of her salad around in the large plastic bowl.

"So what does that mean?"

"Nothing?" Brooke said raising an eyebrow. "We are just friends; it is just weird that he is here…"

"I can imagine."

"Why do you say that?"

"You know exactly why."

"So we didn't leave off on that great of a note…"

"From what you told me… you guys didn't leave off on any note… you left a note and then high tailed it out of there without giving him a chance.

"It was a complicated situation…"

"Yeah that you made complicated" Casey said putting her fork at Brooke

"No offense, but you weren't there, the situation was messy and I had to leave."

"You are right, I wasn't there, but I am going off of what YOU, yourself told me and from what you told me, you left with out saying anything, and that is fine, whatever it is your choice, but then not calling him for four years…"

"It isn't like he tried that hard to keep in touch."

"Brooke he called you none stop for like six months," Casey said dramatically before taking a bite of her salad.

"I just needed a clean break, I don't think that is so bad" Brooke defended.

"You are right, there is nothing wrong with that, but knowing what you knew you should have ad least talk to him once."

"Knowing what I knew is exactly why I didn't talk to him. I thought you understood that?"

"I did understand it and you know that, and if it works for you, which may I just say I don't think it does, then whatever, but you are going to do some thinking because things are about to get even messier then they were when you vanished from Hicksville, and this time you can't run."

Casey put the lid on her salad before she threw it in the garbage bin and walked away, leaving Brooke to sit and think about what she had said. Cursing slightly she put her head in her hands.

Casey had never been more right, and this was the one time Brooke needed her to be wrong.

Just because I couldn't say doesn't make me a liar
I noticed a change in the tone of your voice
It's so clear
My role in this mess
Is not something that I can be proud of
But it's all going to change

So? Please share your thoughts.

Thank You's:

iluvmedou I have to say… you are one of my favorite people on here. You ALWAYS review and you are always so sweet, it makes me smile when I see I have a review from you. I am glad you like the dynamics of this version. And Casey is going to be a bit edger, so I am excited and I hope you will like it. And I hope you like Lucas's return. Thanks again so much for review, it means a lot and it keeps me going. So thank you.

TypoKweenDevelopment was one of the main reasons I re wrote this story. I felt the first version was lacking it greatly and what I have planned need a good ground to grow on, so I am thrilled to hear that you were able to see that. We will find out soon enough where Brooke went, lol, okay, actually not all that soon, but I guess I have to have something to keep you all reading right? And Dante will be back shortly, I love writing him and you can expect a lot of him. About the typo's, lol they are kind of like… my thing. Lol, but I am trying to do better, I have Lynn betaing for me and I try and look over it a few times but some times things slip, I hope it didn't take away from the chapter to much though. Thank you so much for your review, it is always that much more amazing when an author you personally love reads your work, and then on top of that reply's with positive feedback. It made my day when I read your comment and I hope you continue to read, enjoy and review. Thank you again so much for your thoughts.

jeytonbrucasnaleyLike I mentioned to TypoKween, it is always great when an author you love reviews your work. I seriously love every one of your stories and the fact that you are reading mine is like… an honor? Lol, idk, but it is great to know you are reading and I hope you are enjoying it so far.

Awhero: Well your review just had me smiling like an idiot. Thank you for being honest. It is one thing to get a review but it means so much more when something is being honest with you. So thank you. What you said really made me feel great, it is probably one of the nicest reviews I have ever gotten and I thank you for that. As for this new version, I know you weren't too thrilled with eh first chapter, but I hope this chapter is a bit better for you. I think in the end you will see why I went back and re wrote this, and I hope you like the changes. After all I write to please. So thank you again for your wonderful… and helpful words, they meant a lot and I hope you continue to read and review.

And to othfan326catcat51092apple01whiterswtlozySeth-n-Summer4ever and B.P.Davis… Thank you all for all of your reviews, I am so glad you guys are enjoying so far and I hope to keep you all happy through out. Thank you all so much for your reviews, they mean a lot and they are the reason I write, so please continue to read them so I can continue to write, lol.