Author's note: Still I own nothing. Flashbacks in italics. Song is one I love and I think it fits, please listen if you haven't heard it. Read and review. I appreciate all of the feedback I have gotten so far...I am puzzled at how to bring Julian in, what his background should be? Any ideas?

Haley had invited everyone over for dinner. She loved having Brooke and Peyton back, and she wanted to spend time with them. They were all in the kitchen while Haley was cooking, they were laughing a joking.

"Ok, well," Brooke said with a laugh, "Tric needs to establish a no mom rule."

"Hey," Haley said flicking her with a towel, "I'm a mom!"

"You don't count," she said with a chuckle, "you got married and pregnant before you even graduated high school."

"You'll be locked away safely in a home by thirty-five," Peyton laughed.

"It's nice having you two back," Haley smiled, "have I mentioned that?"

"Well, just tell me I don't look like her when I dance," Brooke said.

"Only if you tell me what happened with you and the hot bartender last night," Peyton smiled.

"That's easy," Brooke said, "nothing."

"Nothing," Peyton asked surprised.

"Nope," she said taking a sip of her wine.

"He is pretty hot," Haley said, "maybe he's just not your type."

"Maybe," Brooke sighed.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Peyton said, "Luke came by looking for you today, said he wanted to apologize."

"What happened with you two," Haley asked surprised.

"Nothing, he just said something, no big deal," she smiled.

"You ok," Haley asked concerned, Brooke smiled and nodded. Haley knew there was more, she also knew Brooke wasn't ready to talk about it yet, "ok."

"Sorry we're late," Lindsey called as she and Lucas entered the kitchen.

"Hey," Haley smiled, noticing the enormous grin plastered on Lindsey's face, Lucas looked a little stunned, "is everything ok?"

"Yeah," Lindsey smiled as she put her arm around Lucas, who looked towards Brooke, "if this town is big enough for two Mrs. Scott's," she smiled showing Haley a ring on her left hand, "Lucas proposed."

"Oh my god," Peyton said as she and Haley both stared at the ring, then each other.

"Excuse me," Brooke said as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Congratulations," Haley and Peyton said in unison, both noticing Brooke's abrupt departure.

"Thank you," Lindsey said hugging Haley.

"Wow," Peyton said hugging Lucas, "congratulations."

"Thanks Peyt," he said. He still couldn't wrap his head around how in a matter of a couple hours he had gone from dating Lindsey to engaged to her. It seemed surreal almost.

"Hey," he said walking into to their bedroom, "I thought you flight was coming in later."

"Yeah, well I got an earlier flight, I wanted to surprise you," she said, turning towards him, he could see she had been crying.

"Linds, you ok," he asked walking towards her.

"Where were you Lucas," she asked wiping her eyes.

"The river court," he sighed, "I just have a lot going on right now, I needed to clear my head."

"What's this," she asked pulling a box from his dresser drawer.

"Lindsey," he said, "that's my past, ok, I don't even know why I kept those letters. It's just words we couldn't say, our past, that's all."

"And this," she asked pulling a small black box from the same drawer, he looked at her stunned. "I was putting away the laundry, and I just…"

"Lindsey," he said wiping her tears, "you're the girl that I love."

"Then how come you never gave me this," she asked holding on to the small box.

"Linds," he said.

"I am gonna go back to New York, Luke," she said as she placed the box in his hand, "for the record it's as beautiful as I imagined it would be."

"I was waiting to give you the ring until I was sure I had another book in me," he said causing her to turn towards him. "I just don't want you to end up regretting me because I can't finish it."

"I would never regret you."

"You say that now," he said with a heavy sigh, "but what if I'm not Lucas the writer, what if I'm Lucas the small time basketball coach? What if that's all I'm ever gonna be?"

"Then I'd be the small time basketball coach's wife. Look at me Lucas," she said, "I don't love you for your book. I love you for the mind that book sprang from, and I don't care if you never write another word again. You'll always be more than a small town basketball coach, because you'll be the man that I love."

"Where's Brooke," Lindsey asked pulling Lucas from his thoughts.

"I think she had a call," Haley said, unsure where her friend had gone, "but dinner is done, Luke would you mind grabbing Jamie and Nathan they are out back?"

"Yeah," he smiled, kissing Lindsey's forehead before leaving the three women alone.

"You ok," Nathan asked as Lucas walked towards him and Jamie.

"Yeah," he sighed, "Hales wanted me to get you guys, dinner is ready."

"Hey, Jame," Nathan said, "tell your mom me and Uncle Lucas will be there in a minute ok bud?"

"Ok," Jamie said with a smile as he ran in the house.

"What's up, man," Nathan asked knowing something was going on with his brother.

"Lindsey and I are getting married," he said.

"Huh," Nathan said.

"That's it," Lucas asked, "no congratulations, nothing?"

"No, man I'm happy for you if this is what you want," Nathan said, "if it's what's in your heart." They both knew what he was referring to.

"There's nothing wrong with my heart, Nate."

"Yeah? That's what you said after your car accident," Nathan said, "you told me you didn't want to be afraid to live your life."

"That's right."

"Well, I don't buy it Luke. I think there's something in your heart you're running from."

"What, are you psychic," Lucas asked sarcastically.

"You can make jokes about it all you want, but you know there's a girl you have feelings for."

"Nathan…"

"Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong," Nathan said, Lucas looked away, "see? Now you can be mad at me all you want, you can say your heart's fine, but till you tell this girl how you feel, your heart's gonna be flawed," Nathan said. Lucas sat quiet, "You need to talk to her, Luke."

"I need to talk to her," he sighed, both knowing who he meant, as they walked in the house.

"Yeah, you do," Nathan said as they saw Brooke standing near the front door. Nathan walked into the kitchen, Lucas stood watching her as she was digging in her purse for her keys.

"Hey," he said walking towards her, she didn't respond, "Brooke."

"Congratulations," she said as she pulled her keys from her purse.

"Brooke," he whispered looking into her hazel eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Lucas, you should be celebrating," she said trying to force a smile, "me on the other hand, I have some things to take care of at the store."

"Brooke," he said as she reached for the door, she turned towards him.

"Goodbye Luke," she said with a soft smile as she left.

"Lucas," Lindsey called from behind him.

"Yeah," he said turning towards her.

"You ok," she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm good."

"Brooke, honey," Peyton called walking into a dark living room, seeing a bottle of wine on the coffee table and Brooke curled up on the couch.

"Hey," she said in a raspier than usual voice.

"Tell me you are not sitting here torturing yourself with a copy of Lucas' book," Peyton said sitting beside her best friend.

"She was fiercely independent, Brooke Davis. Brilliant, and beautiful, and brave. In two years she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday. I'm not sure she even knows it," she read from his book.

"I've read it honey," Peyton said as Brooke wiped her eyes, "I lived it."

"They're getting married," Brooke whispered, "sometimes I wish that I would've said something different, you know, the right thing, but now all I have is the words I couldn't say, and Lindsey has Lucas. They are getting married."

"I know, it's crazy," Peyton said as she pulled Brooke close to her.

"It's not," Brooke whispered, "they're happy and they have a life together, you know. It's not crazy," she said, "what's crazy is this. Me."

"You are not crazy Brooke," Peyton said, "you're in love with a boy."

"I didn't come back to rehash our past you know. I want Lucas to be happy, Peyt, I do. I want to be friends, I want to be the way we were," she said wiping her eyes, "I can do this right."

"You can," she said.

"I want him to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted for him. When I was in New York I felt like there was this void in me, in my heart, and I thought coming back here I could fill it," she said, "but right now," she cried, "right now it feels a thousand times bigger. I want him to be happy, I do."

"But at what cost," Peyton asked, she shook her head, "Brooke you can't do this forever, you have to put yourself first, and I know firsthand that you don't. Lucas and I both do," she said wiping her own eyes, "what you sacrificed for me…"

"Don't do that, ok," Brooke said wiping her eyes. "I'm ok, I am, we're home now, and you have this label, I have my company, we have amazing friends Peyton, we're gonna be ok, I know that, and I am gonna be happy. I am," she smiled drying her eyes.

"Brooke," Peyton whispered watching her best friend do what she does.

"It's ok, he loves her and they're getting married," she chuckled, "maybe I'll even make her dress."