So as you can see I lied... I wrote the last chapter and decided it needed something else tacked on to the ending I had written so here is Chapter 10, the last chapter.

Thank you again to all my reviewers (annabelle08, takemewhenyougo, naley23alwaysforever, aschly, sidz2891, breathbookslove, brooke, britt, brucas, lovepjandbrucaslover, thibbs65, B, mimi, anja, crazziielymeg14, celine, watchtoomanyshows-fangirl, the guests, sandygirl and dianehermans) A special thank you again to Diane for the story idea, thanks for letting me experiment with flashbacks and present scenes, it was fun. :)

Chapter 10:

"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

-Paul McCartney

Friday July 25, 2031

"It's been an intense couple of days," I say aloud, looking around at the slight echo. I'm in the cemetery and it's dark, everything seems so ominous. "Nathan is going to be a grandfather. That still sounds crazy to say, by the time Nathan is 44 he will have a grandchild and all I can say to that is better him than me." I laugh before taking another swig of my beer, "My memoir is now fully in the hands of my editors. I have published twelve novels and I can honestly say it never gets easier. The pressure of writing something good, something worth reading, something people want to read doesn't stop. Brooke has been amazing as always, letting me spend long hours couped up in my office, making sure I hit all my deadlines," I look down at the headstone that reads Keith Alan Scott, "some years are still so hard Keith, my children are grown and you never got to meet them, Brooke and I have been married 21 years. At least you met her, you knew her, you told me she was the one before I even knew what that meant." I sigh, "then there's mom and your daughter Lily. Lily is pregnant, you would have been a grandfather this year too. She's shaping into one incredible woman, she's an attorney and she's passionate about every case she takes on. Mom has Andy but I know she misses you, she still keeps me on my toes. She'll be stateside again before the end of the year, as a grown man it's hard to admit out loud that I miss my mother as much as I have." I catch a flash of light out of the corner of my eye, I fulfill every horror movie cliche when I say, "is someone there?" I didn't expect a response...

"Lucas Eugene Scott I knew I would find you here." Brooke smiles at me before she leans in and gives me a kiss. "Happy birthday Keith, I have a present for you." Brooke opens her bag and pulls out a framed picture of our family and a birthday card, "Wait this is the best part," I watch her open the card and prop it up on the headstone, the card sings out 'When I get older losing my hair, many years from now, Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottles of wine? If I'd been out till quarter to three would you lock the door? Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?'

"Happy 64th birthday old man." I say wiping a stray tear from my cheek.

Brooke opens her bag again and pulls out a blanket and hands me a thermos, "I thought we could just sit here a while. I brought hot chocolate."

I position the blanket on the ground and pull Brooke down with me, "have I told you lately that you're the best?"

"Nope," she smiles at me and sits in between my legs and leans back against my chest, "I know some years are harder than others. We're had a busy year filled with lots of things I knew you would want to share with Keith. Plus today would have been his 64th birthday, it's The Beatles birthday, I know how much Keith loved them."

"Actually Keith was more of a Rolling Stones fan, he rocked The Beatles at the shop because they were my favorite." I smile, "I miss him so much Brooke."

"I know you do Lucas, I miss him too."

"Thank you for always being so understanding I know there have plenty of birthdays and anniversaries where I haven't exactly been nice to you and everyone else." I sigh thinking back to my 39th birthday.

"Aside from the epic battle that was your 39th birthday," she says reading my mind, "being extra broody some days isn't a big deal."

I can't help but laugh at the memory of my 'bad' birthday, "I was such a dick, I thought for sure you were going to divorce me after that one."

"I considered it," she says sticking her tongue out, "I think it made us stronger, you finally broke down and confided the last piece of yourself in me. Now if we had figured all that out before you unloaded at me in front of everyone we know that would have been great."

I take in a sharp breath, "My 39th birthday was intense because Keith died before he reached his."

"I know, it didn't occur to me then, I thought you were just being sensitive about your age so Haley helped me throw you an over the hill party." She shakes her head, "the look on your face when we arrived at the cafe for your surprise party. You could have murdered me, but there were too many witnesses."

I laugh and pull her into me tighter, I kiss her cheek, "I behaved like a petulant child, I'm lucky you were so wonderful about it. Are you getting cold, I think we better head home."

I stand up first and pull Brooke to her feet, I rest my hand on Keith's headstone, "Talk to you soon Keith, I love you."

Brooke kisses her hand and puts it to the headstone, "I love you Keith."

We drive home in silence, "how about some music?" I say turning on the radio ,'When I get older losing my hair, many years from now, Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottles of wine? If I'd been out till quarter to three would you lock the door? Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?' I laugh at the coincidence, 'You'll be older too and if you say the word I could stay with you.' I decide to turn the radio off, "Pretty girl will you still love me when I'm 64?"

Brooke scoots closer to me and puts her head on my shoulder, "I will love you all the days of my Lucas. 64, 84, 104 I don't care, I will love you till I take my last breath."

I smile at her words, kissing her hand, I think for a second about saying something profound that will make her cry but I decide against it, as we pull into the driveway I finally answer, "you better pretty girl because I would be so lost without you."

-0-

Thank you again for taking this journey with me... You all have been fantastic. Hopefully I'll see you pop up in review sections of my new stuff.

Thanks again!

-Krystal

Author's Note: Lucas Scott had everything he ever dreamed of… The perfect job as a big shot Hollywood screenwriter, the perfect girlfriend who adored him, the perfect group of friends who saw him through good times and bad. BUT lately it wasn't enough; Lucas had begun to have dreams of the life he left in Tree Hill seven years ago… his brother and sister in law, his mother and the girl he had vowed to love for a lifetime. When the dreams start to affect his work Lucas decides it's time to travel to Tree Hill and close the book on some unfinished business once and for all… Little did he know that the family he left behind in Tree Hill harbored secrets of their own?

Come join me for my next AU story Wild Horses… The prologue is now posted. :)