A.N. Hey everyone! Soooo sorry for the delay in updates. I just got back from a week long retreat after having a 3-day retreat the week before! But yea. I got an update for you now! yay! haha. But, I really hope you guys enojoyed this chapter. This was a harder chapter for me to write (they seem to be getting harder to write! haha) But I think in the end, I put everything I wanted to happen in this chapter in and I think it worked out well... anywho, enough with my rambling (haha. all I'm good for!) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And now here is the broodiest of broodys, Lucas Roe!
Oh! And thank you guys soooooooo much for all of the wonderful reviews! I am so glad you guys are liking this story!
... and to answer the question I'm sure all of you guys are asking either me or yourselves.. haha.
Couples:
Karen and Keith (of course)
And from all of my other fics, you can tell I am a HUGE Naley fan.. soo I won't say it won't happen in this story, because there is probably a big possibility for them.
As for other couples... I'm not set on anything yet.. so please start and continue to let me know who you want to see together.
But like I said in the beginning, this story is not going to be all about romance, it will have the importance of family and friendships too!
Okay, okay, I know! Enough, Kristen! I gotch ya! On to the story...
... and don't forget to review!
:D
The Living Years
Chapter 3
Lucas Roe
"Keith, what took you so long?" Brooke questioned as she saw her foster father walk into the room with Haley's things. "I was beginning to get worried." She joked.
Keith laughed. "Well thank you for your concern, Brooke. But I had to talk to Karen."
"Where is she?" Haley questioned from where she sat on her own bed that was placed across from Brooke's on the other side of the room. Her bed had a white comforter like Brooke's, but had light blue sheets and pillowcases instead of the light pink ones that the other bed had.
"Brooke why don't you sit down, I need to talk to you girls." Keith responded, grabbing a desk chair and placing it between the two girls that were now both sat on their individual beds. "We got a call from a lawyer, our old friend's lawyer to be more specific."
"Okay. But what does that have to do with where Karen is?" Brooke asked interrupting.
"Well, the lawyer told us that our best friend Jules' son, who lives in Charleston, had filed an accusation that his father was an alcoholic and was abusing him."
The girls gasped.
"But where's Jules?" Haley asked concerned.
Keith took a deep breath and looked down sadly. "Jules passed away when Lucas, her son, was born. Lucas' father, Dan, never accepted our friendship with Jules, so when she died he cut off all ties we had to Lucas. We tried our best to see Lucas, but there was no chance we would ever see the kid, so we just stopped trying." He looked up to see the girls still looking concerned but both equally confused, still not knowing where Karen had gone. "Karen went down to Charleston." He stated.
"But why?" Haley questioned, Brooke nodding her head wanting to also know why Karen had just up and left, even though she had a feeling that it obviously had to do with this Lucas kid.
"Because Lucas has asked to be put into the custody of the guardians his parents appointed in their will." Keith explained, thinking he made things clear for the two.
"Wait. I don't understand." Brooke began confused.
"Yea. I thought you said that Dan cut off all ties between you guys, so why would you and Karen still be his guardians? Wouldn't Dan had changed it by now?" Haley asked just as confused with the situation as Brooke was.
"Dan is an alcoholic, girls. He would have never even thought of changing it. But now, there is a possibility that Lucas will be coming to live with us." He looked to Haley who looked scared. He reached out for her hand, he squeezed. "All four of us." Haley looked up and smiled.
"Well is he cute?" Brooke asked as Haley and Keith began to laugh at the now even more excited girl.
Lucas Roe sat in the lawyer's office, quietly listening to his father Dan Roe argue with his deceased mother's best friend Karen Scott. If he was being completely honest he really hoped Karen would pull through for him and become his legal guardian. He could not stand being in that house with his father anymore. Sixteen years and he had had enough.
He was brought out of his thoughts though when he heard the gavel drop onto the desk. "I hear by declare Karen and Keith Scott the legal guardians of Lucas Roe and insist Lucas file for a restraining order against Mr. Dan Roe."
"Do NOT tell my son to get a restraining order on me!" Dan yelled slamming his hands on the table in front of him, standing up.
Karen sighed in relief, walking over to the judge, shaking his hand. "Thank you, sir. We will be sure to do that."
"This is unbelievable." Dan exclaimed. "There is no way my son is leaving with her!"
"Mr. Roe please calm down. It is my job to decide what is best for the victim and in this case I believe that Lucas would be much better off in Mr. and Mrs. Scott's custody. But of course, if Lucas so chooses to not accept that, he has the free will to stay with you, Mr. Roe."
"Thank God!" Dan shouted, looking towards his son. "Lucas?!"
The boy looked up, scared.
"Lucas?" Karen asked softly looking at the boy still sitting in his chair.
Lucas looked at the judge, then to his father. He could not spend another day with him, he couldn't. There was no way he would survive.
As he looked away, and his eyes met with Karen's, he knew that he had made the right choice of taking this to court.
"I choose to go with Karen." Lucas responded softly.
"What?!" Dan replied, not believing what his son had just said.
"I choose them." Lucas said more confidently, standing up, and looking to his father, not allowing his eyes to stray.
"This is unbelievable, Lucas! You'll regret this!" Dan exclaimed, being escorted out of the room by security guards that had been called up in case of an emergency. "You'll regret this!"
Lucas continued to look at the retreating figure that he once called his father, until he felt a small hand touch his back. He slowly turned around, with tears in his eyes, meeting the petite brunette woman that he knew had just saved him. He threw his arms around Karen, who accepted the hug just as quickly, and cried.
Karen, smoothing out the boy's hair, whispered in his ear, "No one's going to hurt you anymore, my boy."
"We're home!" Karen shouted throughout the house, opening the door, letting Lucas in.
"This is my space, Haley!"
"Brooke you have to give me a little more room."
"I gave you enough room!"
Haley scoffed. "Oh yes, all of the five feet you oh so generously gave me!"
Karen sighed, dropping her coat off on the coat rack.
"Who knew the fighting would start so soon." She heard her husband laughing behind her.
He shrugged as she came up to him to give a chaste kiss. "You must be Lucas?" Keith welcomed, holding his hand out for a shake.
Lucas nodded, shaking his hand. "I thought you guys didn't have any kids."
The couple laughed. "It's a long story, that we'll explain later. But hey! Why don't I help you get set up and get you caught up?" Keith asked, grabbing a few of Lucas' bags for him.
"Sure." Lucas accepted, following Keith up the stairs.
Karen smiled as she saw the boys walk away. She couldn't believe how much her life has changed in just two weeks. She went from having no kids to helping out three. But she wouldn't change it for the world.
"Karen!"
Hearing her name being called she looked up the stairs, seeing Haley standing at the top.
"What is it sweetie?" Karen asked curiously.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but Brooke is being, well, Brooke!" Haley exclaimed agitated, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"Okay I'll be up there in a sec." Karen shook her head, watching the young girl stalk back to her room.
Nope, she wouldn't change it for the world.
"So what's your story, Broody? I mean I know the gist, but what do you have to say about it?" Brooke questioned as she let herself and Haley into Lucas' room.
Lucas looked up from the book he was reading; putting it down on the bed he was currently laying down on. He laughed. "Excuse me?"
Brooke sat down on the bottom of the bed as Haley took a seat at the desk that was placed right next to it.
"You heard me, what's your story? Where you from? What do you do for—" Brooke began to explain, trailing off different ways to put the question so the teenage boy could understand what she was saying.
"No, no. I know what you meant by that, I just don't understand why you called me Broody." Lucas interrupted.
Haley laughed beside him in the desk chair. "Don't worry, Lucas. It's just Brooke doing what she does."
"And what does she do exactly?" Lucas questioned.
"Duh, Broody. I give out nicknames."
"And trust me." Haley said leaning over so she was closer to Lucas. "Yours is not even half as bad as mine was." She fully explained, leaning back in the chair, glaring at Brooke.
Brooke threw her hands in the air. "I was just kidding when I said it!"
"Sure you were."
"You know I didn't mean that that was you're actualy nickname, H. James."
"Wait, wait." Lucas interrupted, sitting up on his bed. "What did she call you?" He asked looking at Haley.
"Orphan Girl."
Lucas' mouth dropped as he chuckled lightly. "She called you that?"
"Yes!" Haley exclaimed, leaning over and slapping him on the shoulder. "And you are not supposed to laugh." She said annoyed.
Brooke, also, leaned over and slapped him. "Yea." She obviously said agreeing.
Lucas, taking a deep breath, looked at the two girls. "I believe this is the start of a beautiful, yet abusive, relationship for the three of us." He continued to laugh, the girls soon joining in, rolling their eyes at their newfound friend.
Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think? Maybe?? Please?? haha. Thanks for reading!
.Kristen.
