Author's Note: Bet yall didn't think this was coming, huh? Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this for so long. You guys are great.
"Hi folks, this is your captain speaking. We'll be landing in another five minutes. Looks like it's a scorcher out there today. Local temperature is 97 degrees. Time is 4:38 pm. Welcome to Tree Hill, North Carolina."
Lucas is not a nervous flier, but right now he is gripping his handrests. Marie, next to him, is happily oblivious. "Tree Hill?" she repeats, bouncing in her seat.
Brooke is the one to respond. "Yes," she gushes. "Are you excited, Marie? This is where your Daddy and me grew up."
"Daddy home?"
"Yep!" Brooke chirps. "This was his home."
"Why Daddy leave?"
Brooke hesitates. Lucas clears his throat. "Because I loved your mommy very much," he says, his voice gravelly. "And she wanted to be in New York."
Marie nods, satisfied, and discontinues the line of questioning. Brooke looks over the top of her head and shoots Lucas a sympathetic look. He forces a smile in return.
What is he doing back here?
He knows the answer to that already. He's been over it in his head a million times already. He's here to see Nathan and Haley and Jamie and Sarah. He's here to see his mother and Andy and Lily. He's here to see Peyton.
He's here to finally prove to himself that he can move forward with his future and hold onto his past at the same time. Because up until this point it's always been a matter of choosing one or the other, and neither leaves him feeling completely healthy or whole.
Maybe he will have to let some things go during this trip, he thinks. He sneaks a glance over at Brooke and wonders what he can and can't afford to lose, ultimately.
Brooke catches him in the act and smiles, clearly unaware of his thoughts. It makes his heart thump harder in his chest, making him painfully aware of how precariously things hang in the balance.
The words spill out before he can stop them. "Promise me, no matter what happens, that you'll be on the plane back to New York with me after this weekend."
"Of course, Lucas," she replies, looking confused. "We booked our flights together."
"I know." He hesitates. "Just promise me."
She bites her lip. "Lucas," she starts, "I hate that your last memory in Tree Hill was a bad one, but everything's going to be fine, okay?"
But my last memory here wasn't a bad one, he thinks, it was with you. At the time, yes, it had been sad, but ultimately, that meeting on the Rivercourt had been the reason they had found their way back to each other.
He could never look back on that as a "bad memory."
"Yeah, Brooke," he says instead. "You're right. Everything's going to be okay." He pastes a smile on his face. "I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, actually."
Brooke squints her eyes, looking as if she wants to say more, but the captain's voice crackles back on over the loudspeaker. "Approaching final descent. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and tray tables are stowed. All seats must be in an upright position. It's been a pleasure flying with you today."
Facing forward, Lucas braces himself for the landing, and so much more.
Karen, Andy and Lily are the ones to pick them up from the airport. Karen's grin is wide across her face and Andy's is nearly as big. His half sister Lily even manages a pretty smile, which Lucas notes with some amusement, because from his last correspondence with his mother he had gathered that the girl was deep in the throes of pre-teen angst.
Maybe that type of thing was genetic, he had thought, recalling his own adolescence.
"Lucas!" his mother cries, rushing up to him.
He catches her in a bone-crushing hug, all his fears from the flight giving way to joy. "Hey, Ma," he says. "Missed you."
She pulls away, eyes shining. She gives him one last squeeze, as if to make sure he's not made of air, and then turns to Marie.
"Look at how big you've gotten! What a gorgeous girl."
Marie giggles happily. "Grandma!"
Andy steps up. "Good to see you again, Lucas."
"You too," Lucas says, embracing him. He glances over Andy's shoulder at Lily in the background.
"How are you doing, Miss Lily?"
"I go by Roe now."
"Roe?" Lucas repeats, crinkling his nose. "Since when? When you guys came to visit last Christmas…"
"Since the new year," she clarifies. "Roe is much more sophisticated."
He looks at his mom, who is chatting with Brooke with Marie held against her hip. Karen rolls her eyes.
"It's my middle name," Lily – rather, Roe – says defensively.
Lucas holds up his hands in peace. "It's a good name," he concurs.
"Very cool," Brooke adds, winking.
Lily flushes a bit, and Lucas remembers quite suddenly that Brooke is somewhat of a celebrity, especially for this town.
"It's two o'clock," Andy says, glancing at his watch. "Did they feed you guys on the plane?"
Lucas, Brooke and Marie all shake their heads in unison. Karen and Andy look positively thrilled. Belatedly, Lucas remembers how his mother and Andy met through their shared love of cooking.
"Now you've done it," Lily says, rolling her eyes.
Her words prove to be prophetic. By the end of the meal, Lucas is so stuffed that all he wants to do is go collapse in his old bedroom and sleep it off like Thanksgiving dinner.
Brooke, who managed to show more restraint while eating, tugs on his arm. "We ought to stop by Nathan and Haley's. Come on, the walk will be good for you."
"I'm going to hurl," Lucas says in return.
Eventually, Brooke wins out, if only because she's so damn persistent. Plus, she pulls this trump card: "Lucas, on the plane Marie told me how excited she is to meet her Aunt Haley and Uncle Nathan. Are you really going to make her keep waiting? After three years?"
And so off they go. The nauseous feeling in his stomach doesn't fade, and at some point Lucas wonders whether it's still because of all that food or if maybe his nerves don't have something to do with it.
He hesitates when they finally reach Nathan and Haley's front door. It doesn't go unnoticed by Brooke.
"I know it's been a while, Lucas…" she starts.
"I'm fine," he says quickly.
"Haley's your oldest friend," Brooke continues, undeterred. "And Nathan's your brother. They understand."
Lucas glances away from the door over to Brooke and gives her a tight smile. Then he rings the doorbell.
"I'll get it!" a voice calls from inside. Lucas barely has time to steel himself before the door swings open and his best friend since childhood is standing there in front of him. She is simple and pretty as always, in a flowy white top and blue jeans.
"Oh my god!" Haley says, her eyes widening into saucers. "Lucas!" She jumps up and throws her arms around him.
As Lucas pulls her in tight, he knows he was stupid to be nervous before. Brooke was right. He doesn't feel awkward or guilty at all. Just overwhelmingly happy to see the girl he considers family again.
She pulls away, but still keeps hold of his hands, looking just as overjoyed. "I can't believe you're really here. I mean, Brooke told me you guys were coming and all, but it's just been so long and oh my god, hi, Brooke, I didn't even see you behind Lucas…"
"Haley," Lucas cuts in, grinning. "Breathe."
Haley takes in an exaggeratedly huge breath. "Happy?" But she doesn't even wait for his response because she's too busy hugging Brooke. Typical.
When they're done, Lucas gestures to the last person in the foyer, currently peeking around his legs with big moppet eyes. "There's also someone else who's really excited to see you," he says to Haley with a pointed look down at his daughter. "Marie, this is your Aunt Haley."
Haley's breath catches as she glances down and sees Marie. Slowly, as if not to startle the girl, she kneels down to be at Marie's eye level. "Hi Marie," she says softly.
"Hi Aunt Haley," Marie mumbles.
"Aunt Haley likes books almost as much as you do, kiddo," Lucas says, ruffling Marie's hair.
Marie looks up at him, then back at Haley. "You like reading?"
Haley smiles. "I do. What's your favorite book?"
"Curious George."
"I loved the one too," Haley says. "So do your cousins. I think you'll get along with them." She looks back up at Lucas and Brooke. "Nathan's with the kids in the back, if you want to go see them."
"Of course we do," Brooke says excitedly. "How are Jamie and Sarah? She starts school in September, right?"
"Kindergarten," Haley says, nodding, as she leads them through the house. "And they're doing great. They've missed you though. Sarah's been asking for you to make her a new dress for her first day."
"What color?" Brooke asks.
Haley laughs. "No way, Brooke. I know how busy you are. I was just warning you ahead of time so you could turn her down gently."
Brooke looks aghast. "I can always fit in time to make a fabulous new dress for my goddaughter. She's got to make a good first impression at school."
"She's five."
"Popularity is determined early," Brooke responds airily.
Haley shakes her head and glances at Lucas, who shrugs. "We both know I'm no good at being popular," he says.
"No," Brooke says. "You're not."
Lucas squints at her. "Though I did date the head cheerleader."
"I heard she needed help with English class," Brooke retorts.
"Aren't they silly?" Haley says, her remark directed towards Marie.
The little girl nods solemnly. "Very silly."
Lucas and Brooke both pause and look down at her, while Haley bursts into laughter. "She's more mature than both of you," she says, taking Marie's hand as they step out onto the back porch. Before Lucas and Brooke can respond, Haley calls out for her family.
"Nathan! Jamie! Sarah! Look who's here!"
The three of them, playing some kind of keep-away game – with a basketball, of course – stop what they're doing and look up.
"Aunt Brooke!" Jamie and Sarah yell, before running up towards them.
"Lucas!" Nathan yells simultaneously, following his children.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas sees the kids tackle-hug Brooke as Nathan comes up and claps him on the shoulder.
"Good to have you back, man!"
"Good to be back," Lucas says, clasping Nathan's shoulder in return.
To the right of them, Haley gives a huff. They both look over at her.
"What?" they say simultaneously.
"You two are such guys," she says, before pulling them both into a bone crushing three-way hug.
"She's still as sentimental as ever," Nathan says to Lucas over the top of Haley's head.
"Hadn't noticed," Lucas says.
Haley isn't deterred. "Don't act like you guys didn't want to do that," she says as she steps away, back beside Lucas's daughter. "And, Nathan? This is your niece, Marie. Marie, your Uncle Nathan."
"Hi Uncle Nathan," Marie says shyly.
Nathan kneels down beside her, much like Haley had done, but Lucas doesn't get a chance to hear what Nathan says because suddenly Brooke's there, steering him towards Jamie and Sarah with a light hand on his back.
"Jamie, Sarah, this is your Uncle Lucas. You remember Uncle Lucas, don't you, Jamie?"
Jamie nods slowly, smiling. "You used to babysit me."
"Sure did," Lucas says. "You've gotten a lot bigger since then, man."
Jamie flips his hair out of his eyes, "Yep. I'm training for the basketball team this year in middle school."
"Yeah? You better get a hair cut then."
"That's what I keep saying," Nathan grumbles, cutting in. They all turn to see Marie in Nathan's arms, looking at him as adoringly as any girl ever has. Lucas rolls his eyes. Some things never change.
"Are you kidding?" Jamie demands, gesturing to his sandy-brown mop. "Chicks dig this. They think I look like Justin Bieber."
"Justin Bieber?" Lucas asks.
"Be thankful you don't know," Nathan says.
"He's the best singer in the whole wide world," a small voice says below them.
Lucas looks down to see a girl with a curly head of dark brown hair and big brown eyes, like Haley's. "You must be Sarah," he says.
The girl nods. "And you're Uncle Lucas?"
He nods. "I am."
"If you're my uncle, how come I've never met you before?"
Lucas holds up a hand before Haley or Nathan can interject. "That's a good question, Sarah," he says. "I live very far away, and so it was hard for me to come back to Tree Hill. But I wanted to come back to see you and Jamie very much."
"Even though you never met me?"
"Even though I never met you," Lucas nods. "You're my brother's daughter, and that makes you family. It also makes you Marie's family," he says, gesturing up to his daughter.
Nathan sets Marie down in front of Sarah, who cocks her head. "How old are you?" she asks.
"Four and a half," Marie responds, holding up her fingers. "How old are you?"
"Five," Sarah says, puffing up her chest. "I'm going to kindergarten this year. Aunt Brooke is making me a green dress, cause that's my favorite color."
"Can I go to kindygarren?" Marie says, turning to Lucas.
"Soon. Next year," he promises, mollifying her.
Marie appears to find this answer acceptable, because rather than pursuing the subject further, she instead pursues Sarah – right out the back door.
Haley grins sheepishly. "Sarah doesn't like to be cooped up for too long. She's kind of a tomboy. Want to sit on the porch? I'll get us some iced tea."
The rest of the afternoon is long and pleasant and hot. They discuss their respective children (of course), Brooke's clothing store opening, Lucas's book (though no amount of wheedling from the girls gets him to divulge what it's about), and then finally, they turn to reminiscing.
"...and then you dumped the hot cocoa on me! Brooke, it wasn't funny! That was scalding."
"Somebody had to get your wedding ring back after Broody messed it all up," Brooke shrugs, giggled. "I just took the initiative."
Hayley scowls, while the rest of them laugh. Brooke leans back into the couch, dreamy-eyed. "That was a good vacation. Remember how I made out with Pete Wentz?"
This time, Lucas scowls. "While you were dating me, yes."
"He was on my list!" Brooke says defensively.
"Wait," Nathan cuts in. "What list?"
"You know," Brooke says. "The list of five famous people you can make out with if the opportunity presents itself. No repercussions."
Nathan turns to Haley. "Really?"
"No," Haley swats him.
"Both parties have to agree on it, which Luke and I did," Brooke says diplomatically. "It's not my fault Natalie Portman never showed up in Tree Hill."
"Who knows, maybe she'll be at the party tonight," Haley adds, putting a hand on Lucas's knee. It only causes his scowl to deepen. The rest burst out laughing again.
As it turns out, Natalie Portman doesn't show up to the party, but it seems like everybody else does, Lucas thinks later, scanning the crowd in front of him at Tric. Brooke is close by his side, smiling brightly as old friends from high school rush up to them, welcoming them home, begging them to move back.
"It's just not the same without you guys," Bevin cajoles. Skills nods beside her, his arm slung loosely around her waist.
"Y'all need to wrap up this city business and come home," he agrees. "You know there's an opening as a basketball coach at the high school?" he adds, addressing Lucas.
"Yeah!" Bevin squeals. "And you can open a Baby Brooke down here!" she says to Brooke.
Lucas and Brooke glance at each other. "It's just not the right time yet," Lucas says over the music. "But someday."
Brooke nods in agreement. "Maybe sooner rather than later for me. Who knows?"
Bevin squeals again and launches herself into Brooke's arms, despite the vagueness of her answer. "I am so excited. And you know who else will be excited?"
"Who?" Brooke asks.
Bevin looks around conspiratorially. "Owen! You know, he still asks about you just about every day."
"Really?" Brooke says with a weak smile. "Owen?"
Bevin nods vigorously. "You did a number on him, Brooke Davis. He'd take you back in a heartbeat."
"Good to know, I guess," Brooke replies, looking down at her shoes.
Lucas furrows a brow. "Owen?"
"Uh, yeah," Brooke says, looking back up at him. "We had a thing, for a bit. After you left."
"So cute," Bevin puts in. They both turn to look at her, wordlessly.
"Well, would you look at that?" Skills speaks up. "I think that's Fergie over there. We should say hi to Fergie, honey. Have you talked to him yet, Lucas?"
Lucas nods. Skills smiles and claps his shoulder. "It was good seeing you, man."
"You too, bud," Lucas says, squeezing his arm in return. "You too."
The couple walks over to the bar to where Fergie is, Bevin chattering away, entirely oblivious to the prior awkwardness.
Brooke and Lucas glance back at each other.
"I think I saw Owen earlier, if you wanted to say hi to him," he says, low.
Brooke shakes her head. "I don't."
"Okay," Lucas says, studying her thoughtfully, wanting to ask more – but knowing that the timing was off. Someone interrupts them anyway.
"Lucas? Lucas Scott?" a man says, standing in front of them quite suddenly.
"Yeah?" Lucas says, squinting. He's sure he's never met him before, so how does the guy know him? A fan of his book, maybe? He used to get recognized for it from time to time, but it's been years since anyone's approached him about it.
The man sticks out a hand. "Oh, man, what luck. It's good to meet you. I read your book. It was really…well, it was really special."
"Oh," Lucas says, smiling politely and shaking the proffered hand. "Thanks."
"So I guess I should introduce myself," the man continues. "I'm Julian Baker."
"Okay," Lucas says slowly. "Well, I'm Lucas…but you already knew that. And this is Brooke. Brooke Davis." He gestures toward her, briefly noting how uncharacteristically quiet she'd been ever since Bevin brought up Owen.
"So you're the other girl?" Julian says, looking delighted.
Brooke visibly flinches at this. Lucas reaches over and takes her hand, glaring at Julian all the while.
"She was in the book, yeah," he says, through gritted teeth.
Julian laughs and shakes his head. "Man!" he exclaims. "Never would've thought that you'd end up with the other girl."
"My name is Brooke," Brooke finally speaks up, eyes flashing. "And we're not together. Just friends."
"Hmm," Julian says thoughtfully. "So you're single?"
Lucas resists the urge to growl. Luckily, beside him, Brooke looks disgusted.
"And unavailable," she says flatly.
"Never said I was interested," Julian returns smoothly.
Brooke gears up to make some kind of response, but Lucas never hears it, because across the room, he can't help but notice someone quietly duck into the bar. For a moment, he is still.
Lucas remembers the first time he ever saw Peyton Sawyer. He remembers the first words she ever said to him and the first time she kissed him. He remembers senior year of high school and falling in love and that quiet day in the motel room when she folded a ring back into his palm and told him she wasn't ready. Five years ago, Lucas told Peyton how hard it was to see her, with all that history between them, and then they didn't see each other anymore.
That, of course, wasn't the happy ending people were looking for when they recognized him and asked, "what ever happened to the girl in the book?"
But now, the girl in the book is here, walking towards him, and Lucas can't quite decipher how he feels.
"Hi Lucas," Peyton says, and the rest of the room goes as still as he is.
"Peyton," he says, and on instinct, envelops her in a hug. She wraps her arms around him in return, and Lucas is certain he hears more than a few sighs of relief in the background. "How are you?" he asks, pulling away.
She smiles, looking genuinely happy. "Can't complain. I started up a record label, and we just signed this new artist. I was working with her before I got here. She's incredible. Her music just…it means something, you know?"
"Yeah," Lucas says. "I know." They go silent for a beat, meeting each other's eyes. "Well, with that kind of endorsement, I can't wait to hear her."
She nods. Another voice cuts in. "Pey?"
Lucas and Peyton turn to see Brooke and Julian staring at them with similarly inscrutable expressions. "Oh," Peyton says. "You guys met Julian?"
Brooke crinkles her brow. "Yeah," she says. "How do you know him?"
"Brooke," Peyton says, with a meaningful nod. "This is Julian."
A pause. Brooke's eyes widen as they swing back to the stranger. "The Julian?" she says. "I thought you said he lived in L.A.!"
"He came here a couple months ago," Peyton says, stepping past Lucas, beside Julian, and takes his hand. "For me. We're dating again."
"Oh my god," Brooke mutters.
"Again?" Lucas says.
For the first time, Peyton's smile flickers. Brooke shifts beside her. Julian finally clears his throat and breaks the silence.
"We dated a couple years ago while Peyton lived in California."
"After you left," Peyton clarifies to Lucas, quietly.
Julian glances down at her. "Yeah," he says, after a beat. "Then we broke up, and Peyton moved back here. Took me some time but…I realized what an idiot I was and followed her."
"Why'd you break up?" Lucas asks.
This time, nobody answers. "Why don't I get us all a drink?" Brooke says brightly. "Vodka okay? I think vodka sounds good right about now."
"I'll help you get them," Julian mutters, following her.
"Sorry," Lucas says, staring after them. "I didn't realize it was such a touchy subject."
Peyton sighs. "It probably wouldn't have been if anyone but you had brought it up. I thought Julian and I were past this."
He squints down at her. "What do you mean?"
She meets his gaze straight on. "It was you, Lucas. Julian broke up with me because he thought I wasn't over you. And he didn't think I ever would be."
Lucas opens his mouth, but doesn't get the chance to respond. "I got you a Bud, Luke," Brooke says as she returns, holding a beer out toward him. "I know you can't handle your liquor."
"Like you can," Lucas snorts, turning to her. He can feel Peyton's eyes on him, but realizes, quite simply, that isn't something he wants to approach at the moment. He tips his bottle towards Brooke, in thanks.
Brooke swallows, then smiles brightly. "A toast," she says, raising her glass. "To coming home."
"To home," they murmur, clinking their glasses.
