Authors Note: I own nothing. Thanks for the reviews. I really am not sure where this will go—I have changed some time lines around a bit. Any flashback will be in italics.

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"Rough night," Millie asked as she walked into Brooke's office, Brooke just sighed, "this was delivered by the mailman."

"Weird," Brooke said as she took the envelope, noticing it had no return address.

"Are you ok," Millie asked.

"I am," she smiled up at her friend, Millie smiled and went back to work. Brooke opened the letter wondering what it was.

Brooke,
I know I don't know you. And you don't know me. But I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for my mom and all that she has done. Not just to you but KJ too. I grew up loved so much, by my dad, well who I thought was my dad. See my mom has not been the best mom, or really any kind of mom to me. And he took care of me, and I feel bad because he didn't get to be with you or KJ which is what he wanted. I would hear them argue when they thought I was sleeping, and she would always talk about you and harass him until he would admit that he loved you. She would always make threats, to hurt herself or me if he left her. And he wouldn't go to Tree Hill because he didn't want any of you to know how it was. He asked her before who my father was, and it broke my heart, but the older I got it made me love him more because he still took care of me. When my grandpa Larry died it got bad, and then when Keith was born dad wanted to leave. He told her he was, that he was going to find you and KJ, that's when she took all the pills. I will never forget that for the rest of my life. I was eleven or so and I came in from school and she was on the couch and Keith was crying and I called my dad. He promised me he wouldn't leave us, and he didn't. And I know he wanted to be with you and KJ. And I am sorry I took that from KJ and that my mom took it from you. I am with Julian now, trying to get to know him and have a normal life. Keith is with mom in Atlanta and I pray he is ok. I am sure if he is with his dad, he will be fine. But Julian says I can't make myself responsible for it. He wants me to be a kid and be happy and I am trying, he is a good person. I really think he wanted to be my dad, but she didn't even tell him about me she just lied to Lucas and used him to hurt you. I just wanted you to know that he loves you so much Brooke, and I want him to be happy. He did so much for me and my brother, he deserves to be happy. Please just give him the chance. I want him to be happy and I want KJ to be happy too, and you. I don't want him to know I told you these things, he would be embarrassed, I know him. When it comes to you, he wants to be strong and he wouldn't want you to know how she hurt him. Please just know he loves you and KJ and always has Brooke. Thank you,
Sawyer

Brooke wiped her eyes as she folded the letter back up and put it in the envelope. For a sixteen-year-old girl she had lived so much already. Brooke couldn't bare to think of how awful it must have been. For all of them. She sat lost in thought for a few minutes, remembering that night in New York, the night they imagined their future, the life they wanted. And it had been stolen, but not just by Peyton. She grabbed her phone, she needed to confront it.

"Victoria Davis."

"Mother," Brooke said coldly.

"Daughter," Victoria said, "have you gotten the fall line ready, we need to get it together."

"Mother I am not calling about work."

"Well then what do we have to discuss Brooke, I do not have time for your childish antics."

"Funny you mention childish antics. You took away what I wanted; you made a decision that didn't just change my whole life, but you messed with my child too."

"Brooke what are you babbling about now?"

"That night you were so pissed that I went out with him, and I should have seen it. I should have known he wouldn't just leave without coming to see me. I let you get inside my head though. I let you make me believe he was just using me."

"I have no idea what you are referring to and I have work to do Brooke."

"Victoria you know exactly what I am talking about," she yelled, "when you told Lucas that I wanted nothing to do with him and that it was a mistake spending that night with him! The night that my son was conceived! You sent him away."

"And he went didn't he, it didn't take much Brooke, and he left then he wasn't going to stay anyway. You need to move on, you have Clay now. He's a better man than that Scott boy would have ever been."

"Don't do that. Don't talk about Lucas like you know him, he is Keithan's father. And you took that from him, from them both. And Clay is a good man, he's stuck by my side despite having to deal with you all these years. But what you did," she said wiping her eyes, "I will not ever forgive that. Not ever. You may be a part of my company, but you will no longer be a part of my life, or my son's life." And with that she hung up on her mother. Brooke knew she was robbed of the chance to have that life she and Lucas talked about in that carriage ride and she was not sure how to feel about any of it. But she knew she needed to see him.

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"Thanks for meeting me," she smiled at him as walked towards her.

"Sure," he said softly looking into her hazel eyes, "what's up?"

"You said you wanted to get to know me as KJ's mom," she said.

"I meant everything I said Brooke."

"I know," she smiled up at him, "Clay said that he wants to give us space to reconnect with you, and I realized that is what Keithan needs, and probably wants. And I want it for him," she hesitated.

"But," he said waiting for something else.

"It was Victoria, that had them tell you I didn't want to see you. It wasn't me, Luke." He didn't say anything, he just stared out across the river, "Luke, I am sorry. For a lot of things that have happened but mostly that my mother did that."

"I'm sorry too," he said softly, "I should have known."

"It's not your fault my mother is," she paused, "evil."

"Brooke, I should have known, I knew you," he looked into her eyes, "that night, everything we talked about, everything that happened, I should have known, I should have fought harder. For you."

"Hey, I am not blameless in this Luke," she said, "I mean when you didn't show up, I could have called. I should have called. I didn't."

"I hadn't always been the man I should have for you, so I can see how you would believe that Brooke, that I would just not show up. I mean how many times I let you down in the past, I get it."

"I have to be honest, that was hard. And when I told you I was pregnant, and you were so committed to Peyton," she said tears in her eyes, "I was hurt. And I moved on eventually, but Luke that was not easy. And Clay, he has been here for Keithan and me, and I love him. And he loves me," she said, "and I have never, ever doubted his love. Not once, even before we dated, I knew he loved us and would do anything for us."

"That hurts," he said, "knowing I never gave you that Brooke." They sat silent, "I have talked to Keithan about it, about how much I wanted to be there with him, and I mean that, I wish I could have been there with you both."

"I know," she said taking his hand, "I know, and I appreciate that Luke. I just want us to be able to figure out what happens now, for Keithan. Because I want him to be happy. And he has been happy his whole life he has been so happy and loved, but with you, now, he is different. He loves having you here," she said with a smile.

"I love being with him, he's an amazing kid," he said, "so much like you."

"He's a lot like you broody," she chuckled.

"What about us," he asked genuinely.

"I don't know," she said.

"I have no right to ask you for anything at all," he said, still holding her hand, "but Brooke, I love you, I have always loved you, and I just want the chance to be that man you deserve. To show you what you mean to me."

"We aren't kids anymore," she said.

"I know," he looked into her hazel eyes, "and I won't push you, but I want the chance. I won't hide that. So much time has gone by, but when I look at you, I still get that feeling in the pit of my stomach pretty girl, and my heart, here feel this," he said placing her had on his chest, "you still do that to me." They sat in silence for a few minutes just enjoying the beauty of the river court. "Hey, you don't have to say anything," he smiled, "just think about it and let me know. I just want to reconnect with you, and I want to be the man you fell in love with Brooke. I want the life we imagined that night. And I want it with you and Keithan."

"Luke," she nearly whispered looking up at him. Before she knew it, she leaned up and kissed him. It took him off guard but instinctively he kissed her back. As he pulled away, he chuckled, she rested her forehead on his, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."

"It's ok."

"I should get going," she said as she pulled away from him, "I need to get back to the store. I have so much to do in the next few weeks. And then I must get home to make dinner," she was rambling.

"Brooke," he said so she would stop, "it's ok, I am not going anywhere, not this time, so I will be here when you're ready."