Thanks to everyone who reviewed this!! My deepest apologies for not updating this sooner, Its just been hard to find motivation with the way things have been going lately.

I am not sure if this is best as a 2nd chapter to this story or if it's better as a one-shot. I would love to hear what you think, good or bad! Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed this story, you'll never know how much it means to me!

-Kelli

'And I thought New York was full of drama,' she thought to herself as she looked around her now fully furnished baby-ready home. With the running brides, deceitful nannies, horrible mothers, and murderers walking freely, she was quite certain she was not around this much drama back in New York. Sure, New York had its own drama, but her drama there was always work related and she had learned to handle just about anything that threw at her. But, here, in Tree Hill, always meant drama, but it always meant personal dram. And, that, was the drama that she hated. That was the drama that kept her awake at night.

Lately there had been many sleepless nights spent in this house. From consoling Peyton and trying to convince her that drowning her sorrows in bottles of alcohol was not the best way to deal with what she was going though, to reassuring Haley that Jamie would be ok if he was just in the next room playing with his toys and that yes, OF COURSE, Nathan still loved her and found her irresistible. Not to mention she had her own personal demons that she's been struggling with.

She'd only had a handful of nights where she had lay in bed thinking of Lucas and their relationship. Everyone had been so busy consoling Peyton that no one had even noticed Brooke's silent struggle with Lucas. And, for that she was thankful. She did not want to make things harder for Peyton than they already were. One dreaded triangle involving her in high school was enough to last her a lifetime.

Your subtleties

They strangle me

I can't explain myself at all

And all it wants

And all it needs

All I don't want to need at all

Then there was this afternoon. The rush, the excitement, and the pure joy she had felt after the phone call had left her completely speechless at this wonderful opportunity that was being handed to her. She had even gone overboard buying cute things for the little girl. Of course, Haley and Peyton had been there to pull her back down to reality and help her truly get ready for the little girl. Haley had even been wonderful enough to let her use Jamie's old things.

Next had come the thoughts of being in over her head and not being prepared for what was happening. Owen running off, Chase stopping by, Lucas coming over, none of it had really helped to settle her nerves about the situation. Of course Lucas had come and given great words to encourage her. And, yes, they had helped. He always helped. She was amazed at the fact that after all these years and everything they had been through, he could still always manage to say just the right thing to her.

However, as she sat in her living room that night looking around, she knew there was one more thing she needed to do before this little girl got here tomorrow. It was something she had wanted to do for a while now, but just hadn't found the courage to do yet. This little girl was going to need all of her love and attention and she intended to give it to her. But, in order to do that, in order to give this girl all of her heart, she needed to talk to the one boy that has occupied her heart for as long as she can remember.

The walls start breathing

My minds unweaving

Maybe it's best you leave me alone

So she had called Lucas. She could tell that she woke him and she was sorry for that, but she knew he would still come without hesitation. 'He always had a thing for saving people,' she chuckled to herself.

As she sat in her living room with a glass of wine she had yet to touch, she was nervous about seeing him. Nervous about all the things she needed to say, and nervous about the timing of it all. The last thing she wanted to do was make things harder on him, but she needed to do this. She only hoped he could understand and not hate her for it. She was going to need all the help she could get over the next few months, his included. She didn't want to lose him as a friend and as a part of her life, but she needed to have this conversation with him.

She heard him knock softly then allow himself in. He smiled at her when he saw her curled up on the sofa in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail clutching the small purple monkey that had spoke of earlier that day.

"My book needs editing you know."

She looked up at him quizzically, assuming he meant his latest about the Comet.

"…In the 6 years I had know her, she had grown more than anyone I'd ever met…That's still true, and it's still you. You never cease to amaze me with what you are capable of. The world still doesn't stand a chance. And this little girl coming tomorrow, well, she is going to know that you love her no matter what happens. You are going to be great Brooke." As he said this he took a seat next to her and pulled her close to him allowing her head to rest on his chest.

"Where was that speech this afternoon when you told me it was a little too late to be freaking out?" she laughed, enjoying the moment of being is his arms once more. After what she had to say to him, she didn't know if this would happen again for a while. However, she knew that if she didn't sit up and say what she needed to say, she never would. So, she slowly sat up and turned to face him, pulling her feat underneath her.

He smiled at her and opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off before he could.

"I know you think I called you tonight because I am still freaking out about tomorrow, and I am still freaking out, yes, but that's not why I called you," she managed to say all in one breath.

He knew that tone. He knew that when she spoke like that not to interrupt her for fear of not allowing her to say what she needed to say. So he leaned back into the sofa in silence staring at this beautiful girl he loved in front of him waiting for her to continue.

When she spoke again, it was much softer. "Remember the night of Nathan and Haley's wedding? The night I told you I was holding onto you for all the wrong reasons and night I told you I stopped missing you?" she paused briefly. "That was also the night that I told you I loved you and that I always would. And I meant it. I will. I do." She hesitated before continuing, wanting to get the wording right so that he understood.

Her eyes met his and she could see the confusion in his eyes. She was certain he had no idea where she was going with what she was saying. "When I came back to Tree Hill it was me coming home. And it felt 

wonderful and awful at the same time. Wonderful because it's home and it's where my family is, "she smiled looking at a picture of her and Jamie, "and awful because of all the bad memories this place holds. In New York it was easy to drown myself in the company and the lifestyle that New York brings with it. It was easy to not have to remember. I could never forget, and I don't want to. These memories and all the things that happened here, those are what make me…well, those are what make me, me." She laughed lightly.

It was at this point she stopped. She knew once she continued there was no going back. So she made sure she had her focus and looked up and met his eyes. "You loved me once didn't you?"

A weight is lifted

On this evening

I give the final blow

She didn't want a response; she just needed to ask it. Looking into his eyes she could tell that he was more confused than ever. Eyes squinted, lines on his forehead and all, Broody couldn't figure out where she was headed and what she was trying to say to him.

"You were the only person who ever made me question myself this much. You were the only person who brought out all the insecurities that Brooke Davis had perfected hiding from the world. That's got to mean something right?" she continued. "I know you think I just asked you an off the wall question, but I have to say, since returning to Tree Hill I've had to wonder. Everyone here is so sure that Peyton is this wonderful love of your life. And, maybe she is. But, it's like no one remembers that you and I were once and "us." And it's fine if we didn't mean as much as you and Peyton, but we meant something right? I mean, how could we not? After everything we'd been through, we were important right?"

When darkness turns to light

It ends tonight

It ends tonight

Just a little insight will make this right

It's too late to fight

It ends tonight

It ends tonight

That was when the first tear fell. 'Crap, that better be the only one,' she thought to herself as she let it fall hoping Lucas wouldn't notice.

He remained silent for which she was thankful, so she went on. "But I realized something this afternoon after you left. There is someone else that has made me question myself, someone else who is bringing out all the insecurities I have perfected hiding. This little girl coming tomorrow. I don't even know her yet and already she has made me question my ability and everything about me and what I want. And I owe it to her, and to myself, to focus everything I have on her. And that's why I called you over here tonight."

A falling star

Least I fall alone

I can't explain what you can't explain

You're finding things that you didn't know

She could tell by the puzzled look on his face he was still confused. He opened his mouth, surely he was about to ask what she meant by that, but she put her hands up silently begging that he not interrupt her yet. There was more she needed to say before she allowed him to respond.

"I love you Luke, I do. And I always will…Don't worry I am not trying to turn your current love triangle into a square," she laughed while winking at him. To her surprise, he actually smiled back at her. "And I know you are wondering why that makes me call you over in the middle of the night, especially when you already have so much going on. I am sorry for my timing, Luke, I am. But there is a little girl coming for me tomorrow and I need for you to do for me what you promised me all those years ago. Luke, you promised to save me." No point in hiding the tears now, they were falling much too fast for that.

"I need for you to save me. I need for you to tell me that what you and I had was real. I need for you to tell me that we mattered and that we were special at one time. Because all of these feelings I have felt for you all these years, if it's not love, then I don't know what love is. If it's not love, then I will never make it with this little girl coming tomorrow. You've met Victoria, you know what I grew up like. But all that time with you and everything we went through, all the happiness you made me feel, I was certain that was love." She paused to regain her composure, afraid she was starting to ramble.

"But then I come home and no one else even remembers that you and I went out. So that makes me question it, and that makes me question my ability to love. And if I can't love then there is no need in me even going to the airport tomorrow," she choked out. Wiping her face, she looked up and met his stare. "If you tell me that what we had was real and that what we had mattered, then I'll know I'm going to be okay. I'll know that everything I know as love really is love. And that all these feelings I have for a little girl I've never even met are in fact feelings of love. And I'll be okay."

The walls start breathing

My minds unweaving

Maybe it's best you leave me alone

A weight it lifted

On this evening

I give the final blow

"I can't believe I got all that out," she sighed as she wiped her face, again. She was always vulnerable when it came to Lucas and that scared and comforted her all at the same time. She knew she had just dumped a lot on him and she only hoped that he could forgive her for it. She knew that now really wasn't the time to question their relationship, but she couldn't help it. There was a little girl coming tomorrow that deserved the best of her and she intended to give her just that. She just needed to get all this out once and for all before she left for the airport in the morning.

There was silence between them now. As she sat there playing with the purple monkey in her hands, she struggled to read his face. So, as she waited for his reaction she said a silent prayer that she had not just made things worse for him and hoping he could understand why she needed to ask.

All these thoughts locked inside

Now you're the first to know



"I still have them you know." He spoke, breaking into her thoughts as she tucked her feet further underneath her. She looked at him not sure what he was referring to. "All of them. All 82 of them." And that's when she knew what he was talking about. The letters. Her letters.

"And I've never wanted to get rid of them. I've moved them, yes, but never forgotten about them and never gotten rid of them. And I meant what I said to you on the beach that night. I'm the guy for you Brooke Davis. I'm the guy that showed you how to love," he paused to turn her chin so she was looking him in the eyes, "and I'm the guy that loved you back." With that, he pulled her next to him and hugged her as close as he could. As she rested in his arms he could feel the warm tears wetting his shirt.

"I love you too, and I always will. I will be here to help with whatever you need. Nothing you have said tonight changes that. So, please, stop worrying. You already love this little girl more than anyone could have expected you to and you haven't even met her yet. You're going to do great, Brooke. You're going to change the world for this little girl."

When darkness turns to light

It ends tonight

It ends tonight

And that was when she let out the breath she forgot she'd been holding. That was when she knew that everything would be okay. Lucas Scott was still the one boy she would have given everything up for. But, Lucas Scott was also the one boy who would never let her give up anything she deserved.