Angie has been gone for over a week, and while Brooke still misses the girl like crazy, she's returned to her normal bubbly self. Lucas says something, and Brooke cracks up laughing, which gets him laughing too.
"It's good to see you smile again, Brooke," Lucas tells her, his voice soft and caring.
"It's good to be able to smile again. Thank you for everything, Lucas," Brooke says to him, grabbing his hand which is next to her's on the counter.
"Anything for you, Brooke," Lucas says, leaning in and kissing her lightly on the lips.
She pulls away and asks, "What are you thinking about, handsome?"
He shakes his head and answers, "Not much. You, our future, our past. We really need to talk, Brooke."
"I know," she agrees, "That's the only way we'll work this time. You have no idea how badly I need and want this to work. Cause, Lucas, I won't survive losing you a third time."
"So do I Brooke. I guess it was just child's play with Peyton and Lindsay. I love them, yes. But you are the only one I've been in love with. I need to know why, Brooke. Why did you break up with me senior year?"
She sighs deeply. She knew this question was coming. "I was being stupid. When you told me about Peyton kissing you the day of the shooting...I felt my world shatter, and my heart break. My best friend had betrayed me again. My boyfriend was shutting me out of his life, and to top it all off, I thought I was pregnant."
"You what?" he asks, nearly choking on his soda. "The test was yours," he asks, flashing back to the day.
"No. That test was Haley's. I was just late," she answers. "Stressed out, I guess. Cause 'it' came the next night. In a way I was upset. I was kind of hoping that I was pregnant, cause then the baby would give you reason to be with me and not Peyton," she says with a shrug of her shoulders.
"But why'd you do it, Brooke. You haven't answered my question," he urges her to continue with her explanation of the night he lost her.
"I guess I was protecting myself from getting hurt by you again. I guess I wanted to ed things before Peyton got the chance to web cast you guys again."
"She was always an issue for us," he says, the realization even more true looking back on their previous relationships.
She nods, "Yes, she was. But she's not anymore. Lucas, you and I have grown so much since senior year. We are both happy with who we are and are no longer worrying about what the other people around us think. Because let me tell you, in high school, I may have been the most popular girl at Tree Hill High, but I was trying to find myself in who ever caught my eye over the weekends. But then you came along. You made me a better person, Lucas. I don't regret anything we did back then. Because I was with you. You've changed me for the better, and even now, you make me want to do more for others."
"I know we have. We can't keep living in the past. I know that. We just have so much history, that I wish we could rewrite, but we can't. Everything that has happened to us, happened for a reason. I do want to say that I'm sorry," he says, looking her in the eye.
"For what?" she asks, confused.
"For pushing you away after Keith died. For not telling you about Peyton kissing me sooner. For falling into Peyton's waiting arms. For everything I did with Peyton that made you doubt my love for you. For proposing to her. For everything," he rambles out.
"Why did you? You never said much about it that night in New York," now its her turn to ask the questions.
He stares blankly ahead, trying to gather his thoughts, so that when he speaks, they make sense, and don't seem to harsh to the curly haired blonde who he can be friends with dispite their past. "I honestly thought I could be happy with her. She was my girlfriend. I was supposed to love her, which I did; on some level. When I decided to propose I was settling for less, but wanting so much more. I know that sounds horrible to say about a great person. But its true. I proposed to her because I was giving up hope for you and me. I always imagined that when I proposed it would be to you. You would say yes, we'd set a date, get married, then after sometime we'd start a family. You see, Brooke, I've always wanted to be with you. Even when I was with Peyton. When Peyton turned me down, yes, I was upset, but it wasn't the upset that everyone thought. I wasn't upset she turned down my proposal. I was upset because now I had to find someone else to fill the void in my heart where you once were; that's where Lindsay came in. I wanted someone to fill that void so much, that I proposed to Lindsay, and actually made it to the alter and said 'I do'. Then when she left, it was the same cycle all over again. Until just recently," he turns to look at her again, she has tears in her eyes, and a hand over her mouth. She's listening to the man she loves tell her that she was the one for him, and he had been pining for her for five years. "The woman I love, told me she wanted to be with me again. When I proposed this time, it was to the right girl, and she said yes."
She doesn't say anything. She only pulls him to her, and kisses him. Everything he's just told her makes her wonder why she even tried to be happy with someone else over the last five years. First Chase, which was fine. She liked him, he liked her. Then with this guy that Victoria had set her up with, which was just horrible. Then with Owen. He was hot, sure...but he never wanted the same things she did. No one she had ever been with even compared to Lucas Scott. How could they? Lucas was so many things to her. He had done so many things with her, and for her that she's lost track.
When she pulls away from him, she rests her forehead on his, "God, Lucas. We could have been together all these years and happy, had we not been so damn stubborn."
He chuckles, "Yeah, but getting to where we are now, only makes me appreciate you even more. Being with out you for so long made me realize my life isn't worth living if I'm not living it with you. And Brooke?"
"Yeah?"
"This was third most embarrassing speech I have ever given in my entire life. Once again, it's been with you," Lucas tells her.
She smiles at him, "The night of the rain storm. That was the first time we made love after we got together again senior year. That was one of the best nights I ever had. You held me again."
He kisses her again. "I'm never letting you go again, Brooke. I mean it this time."
"I'm glad, because I want to have a family with you. I want what Nathan and Haley have."
"We're going to have that, Brooke, I promise."
--
Peyton is walking up the stairs of Jake's house. She thinks about just walking in like she used to do, but opts for the doorbell. When the door opens, she's met with his face.
"Hey," Jake says in greeting to the blonde.
She smiles back, "Hi."
He steps aside, motioning for her to come in. When the door clicks closed behind them, she turns to him. She wants nothing more than to jump in his arms and kiss him again, but he beats her to it. Minus the jumping. He just pulls her to him for the most loving kiss she's ever had.
"I'm glad you are here, because Jenny has something she wants to ask you. She's in her room. Come on," Jake says, taking Peyton's hand and leading her down the hall to Jenny's room. He knocks gently on the door and says, "Jen, Peyton is here."
The little girl turns her head, seeing that Peyton was standing next to her father. The little girl jumps up and rushes to Peyton and hugs her, her little arms around Peyton's waist.
"I missed you, Peyton!" Jenny exclaims, looking up at her.
Peyton smiles, "I missed you too, Jenny. Your daddy says you have something to ask me. What is it, baby girl?"
Jenny pulls away from Peyton and looks down at her hands, and then back up at Peyton. She shifts from foot to foot nervous about her question. "Well, I was wondering if since you and my daddy are kissing and saying 'I love you' to each other, and since you knew me when I was a baby and everything. Would it be OK with you if I call you mommy? Cause I don't have one, and I really like you Peyton. You make my daddy happy, and I just really really want a mommy," Jenny explains, then looks up at Peyton with hopeful blue eyes. "So, can I call you mommy?"
Peyton is shocked, she wasn't expecting this. She doesn't really know what she was expecting. She turns and lookes at Jake, as if to ask if it was ok with him, recieving a nod from the man standing before her, she turns her attention to the little blonde girl. She kneels down to where she is at her level and says, "Jenny, I always wanted to be your mommy. Even when I was sixteen. Yes, you can call me mommy. I just want you to know, that I may not be the best mommy, but I will try to be."
Jenny smiles and throws her arms around Peyton's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you so much, mommy."
"I love you too, Jenny."
--
Jamie is playing his WII in the living room, and Haley and Nathan are in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when Haley says something that shocks Nathan.
"I want another baby, Nathan."
