Thank you for the reviews, you guys rock! I'm still all a flutter from the cuteness of Wednesday's episode, so I was in a very BL mood when I sat down to finish this chapter, and got it all done! Hope you like it…

"Tess do you want sugar?" Brooke called from the counter of the coffee shop across the road from where she worked.

Her friend shook her head, and Brooke returned with her mug and some sugar for herself.

"So, you can totally tell me to butt out, but I wanted to ask…you were married to Lucas Scott? The basketball player?"

Brooke smiled slightly. Tess was a new friend; Carrie had introduced them a few weeks ago and they'd really hit it off. It felt like she'd known her for years but of course she hadn't, which meant Tess hadn't been through the whole saga of Brooke and Lucas.

"Yes."

"And he's Amy's father?"

Brooke nodded again.

Tess paused for a second, and Brooke smiled inwardly, wondering how long it would be before Tess' curious streak got the better of her.

"So what happened?"

Brooke leant back in her chair. It was never usually put so bluntly. What had happened?

"We were too young," she began "We both had different dreams and we were trying to both pursue them at once and, inevitably, that didn't work. Lucas got placed in a team in Boston, which he wasn't very happy about, and so we all moved. But just before we left I'd been offered a job at Vogue from the aunt of one of our friends, which I then couldn't take because we were leaving." Brooke sighed and stirred her coffee.

"At first we were just so happy to be together with Amy that it didn't matter, but eventually we both got frustrated with our lives and…blamed each other. And we couldn't make it work."

"And so you separated?"

"Yeah. One day I just left with Amy. We were fighting all the time and I really cannot stand fighting with Lucas. It got too hard and I left." Brooke stood up and got a spoon to stir her coffee.

Tess was still watching her when she sat back down. "What, just like that?"

Brooke shrugged, she didn't really want to talk about that exact night…

"We agreed weeks ago we were going to go out tonight! Couldn't you just speak to your coach and - "

"Brooke, a practice is a practice. None of the other players are allowed to just skip training sessions."

"Well none of them have wives and daughters they're meant to be taking out!"

"Yeah, well that's a different problem…"

"Lucas, come on! You said you were going to try!"

"And I am trying! I'm trying to work harder so I can get us out of this place! Back to New York, you know, that city you want to be in so much, the one I made you leave?"

"Lucas…" Brooke sighed, "It wasn't like that. I was upset the other day, I didn't mean - "

"Sure you didn't," he said sarcastically, "You know I don't see why you should put up with your dead-beat husband when he's just keeping you from your dreams."

Brooke could felt her eyes grow hot."Can we please just stop doing this?"

A loud cry came from the bedroom and Brooke glared at Lucas. She didn't even need to say 'Now look what you've done'.

Lucas started towards the room, but Brooke stopped him. "No, I'll get her."

He watched her go into the little room and turned away, frowning. Brooke came out a few minutes later, holding Amy in her arms. "It's okay baby, it's okay." She held her on one hip, stroking her head.

Lucas watched them both; the two girls he loved most in the world and the two that were tearing his life apart.

"I'm going to go for a walk," he said, "Since you obviously don't need me here." He turned and opened the door to the apartment.

"Luke!" Brooke called after him, but he'd already gone, slamming the door.

Amy started crying again.

Brooke closed her eyes, feeling tears forming behind the lids. "Shh Ames, it's okay. It's okay…"

She started walking around the apartment, picking up baby toys that were scattered across the surfaces. As she did so, still rocking the baby in one arm, her anger grew.

Why did they always have to do this? There hadn't been a week since they arrived where they hadn't had an argument, and it was usually two or three. She went into Amy's room to dump the toys, and caught sight of a suitcase; one of the ones still left over from the move.

Maybe they just needed a break?

Before she'd really thought about it she went over to the cot and laid Amy in it, then turned to the suitcase, and tipped out the jumble of books and files packed inside.

Going to her room she grabbed a pile of clothes, and then her washbag from the bathroom. In Amy's room she took her favourite toys, and a stash of all the supplies she needed. She threw in her purse, and then paused.

Lying on the back of the chair was Lucas' old grey hoody, that he'd given her just before college. Brooke closed her eyes for a second. They just needed a break.

She picked up Amy, who had fallen asleep, and left the apartment with the suitcase, catching a cab on the street outside, and leaving the sweater on the back of the chair.

Tess watched her friend. It was obvious Brooke was still scarred by that time; she had had no idea her friend even still thought about it.

Brooke turned back to face her, and continued, "I went to stay with Carrie in New York, and gradually we worked things out..."

Brooke called Haley after a week, and when she had finally persuaded her to promise that she wasn't going to tell Lucas where she was, and that this really was for the best, Haley agreed that she would help.

Brooke drove to their apartment with Amy, and then Haley and Nathan went to visit Lucas, taking Amy with them so she could see her dad. Brooke couldn't face seeing Lucas herself, but she knew it was unfair if she kept Amy from him; they had both been responsible for this break-up.

She repeated this every weekend, taking Amy to Haley, who would take her to Lucas.

Meanwhile she was getting her life back on track. She got a job at Vogue; an intern position but it was still a great foothold. Carrie shared the care of Amy with her, and Peyton came with Jake to stay in New York for a bit, under the pretence that they were thinking of moving, but really to support her friend.

"So how long did that go on for?" Tessa asked.

"Um…six months."

"Wow."

"Yeah…"

"So what made you finally see him again?"

Brooke smiled slightly. "I spoke to a friend…"

Brooke knocked on the door, and waited, smiling as Amy clutched her hand a little tighter as she climbed the last step.

The door was opened by Nathan, who smiled when he saw them both. "Hey Brooke, come on in. Hey Amy! Wow did you walk all the way from the car?"

Amy nodded, grinning at her uncle.

"How are the teeth? Got any more in the last two weeks?"

Brooke chuckled. "Yeah we had a bit of a spurt didn't we Ames?"

Nathan smiled and looked up at Brooke. "I bet that was fun."

"Oh yeah, I don't think her dolls agree though, now that their heads have all been chewed!"

They made their way into the living room, where Haley was working at the desk. "Hey Brooke! I'm sorry I'm just in the middle of this paper but…" she stood up and picked up Amy, "I have something for you…" she grinned and carried her into their bedroom, and Brooke smiled as she watched them go.

"Do you want something to drink?" Nathan asked. "Or are you in a hurry?"

"Um, no actually I have some time."

"Cool, well come on." The two of them went through to the kitchen and Nathan started making some tea. "I'm glad you can stick around for a little bit, because we need to talk," he said, turning round and handing her a mug.

Brooke bit her lip and leant back against a counter.

"How long are you planning on keeping this up?"

"Nate, I know this must be so annoying for you. And I'm so sorry I have to use you like this; if you want I can get someone else to take Amy next week - "

"Brooke," Nathan interrupted, "That's not it. You know we love having her, and we're more than happy to help you guys…sort this out. No I'm thinking about my brother here…and about you. How long can you guys keep this up?"

Brooke looked down at her hands.

"I know your life is getting back on track, and you're happier about your job and everything. And obviously, no one wants you and Luke to go back to how you were…but really…are you happy?"

Brooke gave an extended shrug. "Nate, I…okay I have to agree my heart's getting a bit of a battering but…would it be any better, if I talked to him?"

"Look, I'm not saying you have to get back together, because maybe you're right, you guys can't work together…but at least try and resolve things…give yourselves an ending if that's all it can be. He deserves that much."

Brooke nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay."

Nathan smiled awkwardly, and took a step towards Brooke, pulling her into his arms. "It'll be okay," he whispered. "We're all here for you guys."

"So when you saw him again…that must have been really hard."

Brooke nodded, looking into her mug, "Yeah, it really was…"

Brooke stood looking up at the green awning of Lucas' new apartment block. When she had agreed with Nathan that she would see him, she hadn't known that it would only take a ten minute walk to reach him.

Lucas had just been transferred to the New York Knicks.

And she couldn't help but think, maybe if they'd just stuck it out a little longer…

But she knew it wasn't true. Nathan had said that after she'd left Lucas had thrown himself into training. Apparently anger and a sudden expanse of time could work wonders for an athlete.

She realized she was stalling, and made her way towards the double doors that led inside, heading for the elevator. She hadn't told Lucas she was coming, mainly because she couldn't face talking to him, and also because she'd thought she might not go through with it.

The thought suddenly occurred to her that he might not be home.

She was glad that she had not brought Amy, she wasn't sure how this would end.

Her knock on the door sounded impossibly quiet, he probably hadn't heard it. She was surprised therefore when the door opened.

There was a moment's silence. "Brooke."

Brooke shook herself slightly, and blinked, looking back at Tessa. "But then gradually we worked it out so we could both share Amy and have our own lives too."

"So then he moved back here?"

"He got transferred; it was great. He'd always dreamed of playing for the Knicks and now it was even better because he could see his daughter."

Tess nodded slowly. "And now…?"

Brooke shrugged. "It's fine. We don't see each other much but we're on good terms. He has Amy most weekends and I drop her off."

"It's really good you guys could work it out." Tess paused for a minute. "My parents…they divorced when I was seven and after the proceedings were over they never saw each other again. My dad moved a couple of states away and in the holidays my mom would take me and my sister to the airport and my dad would pick us up the other end." She took a sip of her coffee, and bit her lip.

"It's probably nice for Amy that you guys are still…connected, a little bit."

Brooke smiled. "Yeah."

Tess refrained from commenting on the slight wistful note in her voice.


Lucas yawned as he stood in line, waiting for the cup of coffee that would hopefully revive him. Whoever thought up early morning practice should go to hell. Preferably after a long and painful death.

The door opened and for some reason he turned, out of the corner of his eye he'd seen a certain shade and cut of deep brown hair…

"Brooke! Hey."

She saw him and smiled, delicately cutting in behind him in line. "Hey Lucas. What're you doing up here?"

"Some meeting with our promoters." She raised an eyebrow uninterestedly and he chuckled. "Yeah, exactly."

"Can I help you?" the server asked and Lucas turned. "Oh yeah, I'll have a latte and…" he glanced at Brooke, "A black coffee?" he said, slightly unsure.

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"It didn't look like a caramel machiatto day," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips too.

"Have you got some time?" Brooke asked. "Where's your meeting?"

"Just a couple of blocks up, are you on your way to work?"

Brooke nodded. "But I can be late."

Lucas grinned. "The joys of being the boss."

"One of the bosses," Brooke corrected, with a serene smile.

Their coffees came and Lucas passed Brooke a packet of sugar before they headed to the door. Shivering slightly in the cold air, Brooke emptied it into her cup, fingering the packet for a second before she scrumpled it up.

"I'm going this way," Lucas said. "So you've got time for a walk or…?"

Brooke nodded. "Sure."

They began making their way up the street. Brooke sipped her coffee slowly and then turned to Lucas. "So how have you been?" He glanced over at her and saw she had a slight smile on her lips. The corner of his lips twitched. There was something slightly comical about the situation; a required awkwardness that was dissipated by the mutual acceptance of it.

"I'm good," he replied, catching her eye for a second but not saying anymore about it. "I had an early practice this morning, which was…you know, great."

Brooke grinned.

"And now I'm on my way to suck up to a load of old guys so they'll pay millions of dollars to stamp their names across our jackets."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "They actually make you do that?"

Lucas shrugged. "Apparently they like to 'meet the team' so…"

"They send the star," Brooke completed, grinning again.

Lucas gave her a withering look. "The others will be there too. Well…some of them. They're not all the best with, you know, words and stuff."

"Well you always were good with 'words and stuff'."

Lucas shoved her lightly, and Brooke chuckled. "No it's cool, what better way to use a literature major than sweet talking old men."

"Oh because you're journalism one is going to such good use."

"Hey I don't see you in a fancy office!"

"Well I don't see you on prime time TV so I think we both know who's won."

Brooke laughed and Lucas grinned. "Seriously. I'm the one earning a lot of money just to wear some name."

"Well people pay a lot of money to wear my name."

"Not yours, Ralph Lauren's!"

"Whatever…the couture off-shoot has Mall and mine's names on the front of the catalogue!"

Lucas smiled, he remembered when he'd been sent the first on of those.

"Hey maybe Ralph Lauren should sponsor the Knicks…" Brooke was now deep in marketing thought.

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't think polo shirts go with baggy shorts."

"Well we might have to bring back the little shorts…"

Lucas raised an eyebrow at her and Brooke shrugged. "You gotta make some sacrifices. Anyway, I think they'd be a big hit with the female audience." She winked at him and Lucas rolled his eyes.

Lucas stopped as they came to the office block where he had his meeting. He hesitated for a second, and then asked, "You wanna meet me for lunch some day?"

Brooke raised her eyebrows slightly and he continued. "I mean…I only ever see you for like a minute on Saturdays…it's good to talk to you. You know, about something other than Amy."

Brooke was silent for a second and then nodded slowly. "Sure…yeah that would be nice. We will end up talking about Amy though."

He smiled. "Doesn't matter."

She smiled too. "Okay. Give me a call."

He nodded. "I will. I'll see you soon."

Please review!

Next up: what happened that day after Lucas found Brooke at his door? And we go to work with Brooke!