SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

LizzielOve: Thanks. Glad you like. Here you go.

Sweetcrimefighter: Thanks, yeah it worked out very nicely I think. Hope this is soon enough.

AmandaTron: Thanks, wow. I'm glad I was so effective. Yeah, they are. I'm glad you think so. Thanks, yeah. Here's more.

Sunshine: Wow, thanks. Glad you think so. Read on and see. Hope this is soon enough.

Dianehermans: Thanks, okey-dokey. Just keep reading. Hope this is soon enough.

Sara: Thanks. I've seen you review some other stories and the fact that you chose to review mine means a lot to me. That sounds like it would be a whole different story. Hope this is soon enough.

AlexCurtis: Thanks.

Long Live BRUCAS: Figured it was about time. Yeah, it was surprising, but hopefully realistic. Well, she's one of the first people to show him some kindness (not including Nathan and the others), so that had something to do with it.

DISCLAIMER

Inspired by the Jason Michael Carroll song "Alyssa Lies". Belongs to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot. Switches POVs throughout the chapter, so I apologize in advance for any confusion.

Julian let the Credence Clearwater Rival song blare as he drove down the road. He couldn't get Lucas' voice out of his head. He had sounded so broken, like he was giving up. Oh, Luke. Kiddo. What did they do to you? he wondered. He ran his fingers through his hair and his eyes clouded. He revved the engine and the car sped up. Back in Tree Hill Memorial, Lucas had stopped crying.

"Hey. That feel better?" she questioned.

"Yeah. Uh---sorry," he apologized, wiping his eyes.

"Don't apologize for crying. You have every right," she told him.

"But I shouldn't have dumped this on you. I'm sure you have enough---"

"I'm right where I want to be." Lucas looked at her questioningly, and she nodded. He smiled tentatively. I---I can't believe she's here with me, he thought to himself. She had just found out how dirty he really was, and she hadn't run away. Brooke looked at him, wondering what he thinking. He obviously wasn't okay. He had just gone through torture. The silence was broken by a ringing. Brooke reached into her jeans and pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello?" she questioned. Then, "Oh, Mouth, right? I'm so sorry! Something came up." She listened for a few minutes, "No, no, no, no, no! I am totally not blowing you off! I promise! There was an emergency at a neighbor's and I had to help out," she assured him.

"Look, if you need to go---" Lucas began.

"No, I am not leaving you," Brooke interrupted. "Listen, do you think we could reschedule?" she requested. She made some attentive noises. Then, "Yeah, that sounds great. And again, I'm really sorry." She hung up.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm the one keeping you from your studies," he responded.

"Now, just stop it. I don't want to hear that from you," she scolded. "I couldn't just stand there and listen to what was happening in that house without doing something. He could've killed you."

"Maybe I would've been better off. I'm just a waste of space." Brooke's jaw dropped. What was going on with him?

"What's that nonsense?" she questioned.

"Sorry. Ignore me," he said. "Brooke…what am I going go do? Where am I gonna go now?" he wondered.

"I---I don't know. But I'm sure it'll be okay," she answered.

"How can you be sure? I don't have a home. I don't know what to do. I'm lost," he admitted. She sighed, unsure of how to proceed. Lucas really did look lost. He looked at the girl, wondering what she was thinking. Did I really do the right thing? I never should've let her call the police. I'm not going to have anywhere to go now, he thought to himself. He let out a troubled breath and his eyes clouded. Back at the Tree Hill jail, Jack and Brenda had just been processed and placed in different cells.

"So, when do we get to leave?" Jack demanded.

"Man, you were arrested for child abuse. You're not going anywhere any time soon," the officer responded.

"You don't understand, Officer. Our son has a mouth. And there are times when we have to discipline him," Brenda stated.

"'Discipline him'?" the officer repeated. "Lady, he was covered in bruises. In this state, that's abuse," he continued.

"He's clumsy. He falls down a lot," Jack retorted.

"Oh, like I've never heard that one before," the officer muttered. Jack huffed and sat back in his cell. What was this officer's problem? Didn't he realize how hard it was to raise an ungrateful brat like Lucas? The kid was nothing but trouble. He wasn't even sure why he and Brenda had taken him in. While this was going on, Julian had finally reached Tree Hill and was checking into a hotel.

"And how long will you be staying, sir?" the receptionist questioned.

"I don't know," Julian replied. "I'm here for a friend. It depends on how long he needs me," he continued. Back at the hospital, Lucas and Brooke were still staring at each other when they heard footsteps. They turned to see a nurse.

"Mr. Mallone, we've talked to the Child Protective Service Officers and they have agreed to place you in a group home temporarily," the woman said.

"Okay," he agreed softly. He didn't want to go, but he wasn't going to argue. It wouldn't do any good.

"Lucas, this will be good. You'll see. And we'll do all we can to find you a loving family," the nurse promised. He scoffed.

"That's not gonna happen. No wants a screw up," he said.

"Hey, don't talk about yourself like that," Brooke scolded. You are not a screw up," she continued.

"I just---I don't know," he sighed. While this was going on, Julian was asking various Tree Hill residents about Lucas. He had no luck until he came a cross a girl with curly blonde hair.

"Oh, yeah. That's Luke. Cute, but kinda weird," she commented.

"Do you know where he is?" Julian asked.

"No. Sorry." He thanked her and went on his way.

"Excuse me?" Julian turned around to see a man with blonde hair and dark eyes.

"You're lookin' for the kid?"

"Yeah, you know where he is?"

"All I know is that there was some trouble at his house, the police came and took his parents away."

"What? Where is he?"

"I'm assuming they took him to Tree Hill Memorial." Then, the man gave him directions.

"Thanks!" Julian ran back to his car, started the engine, and took off. When he got there, he rushed in, calling the boy's name.

"All right Lucas, I think it's time---" the CPS officer's sentence trailed off as they heard someone calling his name.

"Julian?" Lucas asked in confusion as he turned around.

"Lucas!" Julian shouted, running up to him.

"What are you---" Lucas' question trailed off as the older boy gently touched the bruise.

"Oh, Kiddo, what'd they do to you?" he wondered.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," he assured.

"I never should've let 'em take you," he stated.

"You didn't know. You didn't know." The CPS officer watched the two interacting with interest. They obviously knew each other and the boy seemed to be comfortable with him.

"Lucas, who is this?" Brooke questioned.

"This is Julian Norris. He's a---a friend from my old neighborhood. He'd let me crash when things got to be too much," Lucas answered. "Where are you stayin', man?" he wondered.

"Local motel," Julian replied. Then, "Look, you're CPS, right?" The woman nodded.

"Yes. I'm Diana Marks and this is my partner Robert Porter," she responded.

"Where are you going to be placing him?" he wondered.

"A group home. It's standard procedure," Mr. Porter replied.

"I know it's irregular, but can't he stay with me?" Julian requested. Lucas looked at the adults eagerly. He wanted to voice his own desire of staying with Julian, knew better to do so. The officials looked at each other. As the man said, it was irregular, but Lucas seemed to get along with him. Being with a friendly face would probably being less nerve-wracking than going into a strange place. Making a decision, they nodded.

"We'll allow it. We'll tell our supervisor," the CPS officer stated. A nurse pulled Julian aside.

"You should be aware that Lucas was---" she began to say.

"I'm well aware of what they were doing to him. I reported them, but since Lucas refused to press charges, the cops said their hands were tied. I was in the process of trying to get him to change his mind when they moved," Julian stated.

"Okay, then," the nurse said.

"Do you have forms that I need to sign?"

"Yes, right this way." She led him to the desk as in another part of the hospital a nurse was showing the doctor the DNA results.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes, I doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled checked. It was a direct match to the DNA sample of his son that we took last summer when he got that horrible flue," she replied.

"You realize what this means right?" he pressed.

"Yes. I know exactly what this means: Lucas Mallone is Dan Scott's son."