Author's note: I own nothing. Please read and review…hope you enjoy.

Nathan Scott hadn't always been compassionate. Some would say Nathan Scott used to be anything but, things change, people grow up. Nathan Scott had done just that, he had become a good man, a good father, a good friend, and fortunately for Lucas, a great brother.

"How you holding up," Nathan asked as he walked on the river court where his brother was standing with a basketball.

"Great," Lucas answered sarcastically.

"Luke, talk to me," Nathan said as he sat on the bleachers, "Haley told me Brooke went to L.A. a couple days ago, I know that's gotta hurt."

"She brings him into my life and bam," Lucas said slapping his hand against the tattered ball, "she takes him away. He's my son, Nathan, my son."

"Have you talked to her," Nathan asked, "I mean when are they coming back?"

"I didn't talk to her, I don't want to," he said sitting beside his brother. "She left me a couple messages, she said they would be back in a couple days, but that was Sunday and it's Tuesday, so who knows."

"All I'm saying is talk to her, Brooke's not the same girl she used to be." That was one thing Nathan knew to be true. He and Brooke had grown up in the same circle of friends, the same type of dysfunctional families. He knew she had changed. He owed his transformation to his wife and brother, and the funny thing was, he was sure Brooke owed hers to the very same duo.

"I don't know who she is."

"She is the mother of your child, Luke, you can't just ignore her," Nathan said, "I mean when me and Haley went through that whole Carrie mess, that's what we did wrong, we didn't talk."

"You were married, you are married," he sighed, "Brooke and I had sex, Nate, she got pregnant, that's it."

"Do you hear yourself? Really, Lucas, is that how you sum up the son you share? You and Brooke, man, you two have history, yeah really screwed up history, but history. You didn't just meet some random chick and knock her up, it's Brooke. It's always been Brooke."

"When I found out from Julian," he laughed, "Julian Baker is the one who tells me I have a kid, I am so pissed. And Nathan I tried to get past it, I did, I forgave her. I forgave her for keeping my son away from me and my family for three months, Nate, I forgave her. I'm done forgiving her, I'm done with her."

"What are pissed at, Luke, what she did or that you forgave her and she left? I mean I don't get it. You're always hiding from your heart."

"Really, this again? My heart is fine," Lucas said, "the only thing wrong with my heart is that I haven't seen my son since Saturday."

"Lucas, until you admit what the real issue is, until you talk to her, you're never gonna let go of this anger."

"That's the thing, I don't know that I want to. I mean I will not let her take Keithan clear across the country and raise him with Julian," he yelled, "I'm not Dan, I'm not gonna let someone else raise my son. I will do whatever I have to, to make sure that doesn't happen."

"What does that mean Lucas? The thing you need to do is talk to Brooke, tell her what you feel, man. I'm no relationship expert, but I can tell you're not just mad, Luke, you're hurt too. So, you've gotta figure this out."

"I know what I need to do," Lucas said confidently. "I know exactly what I need to do."

Brooke Davis had been back in L.A. for two days. Two days ago she packed a bag and boarded a plane with her son. Brooke's life had changed a lot in the last few months, and even more so in the last two days. She was sitting in her office in the companies Los Angeles headquarters. Keithan was in a small playpen near the windows. Brooke knew what she wanted.

"You wanted to see me," Victoria asked walking in.

"It's nice to see you had time for me this morning mother," Brooke said bitterly.

"Well, I'm glad you finally came to your senses and that you're back here where you belong."

"Where I belong?"

"Brooke, I have worked too hard to build this company for you to destroy it by playing house in Tree Hill with some boy who doesn't even care about you."

"Playing house, really mother," Brooke asked frustrated.

"What do you call it? The smartest thing you did was leave that whole in the wall with Julian, and I for one am thankful for him. Julian can help us take this company and magazine to a much higher level."

"Julian makes movies," she sighed.

"Yes, but Julian Baker is the flavor of the moment in Hollywood, dear. Every guy wants to be him and every woman wants to be with him, so you see the press you get being engaged to him, having a child with him."

"We do not have a child together mother."

"Well, that's a mere technicality that the press doesn't need to know."

"Are you serious? Julian is not Keithan's father, and I'm sorry, but I will not play along with this little media stunt of yours. Lucas is his father," Brooke said firmly, "not Julian."

"Like I said," Victoria huffed, "technicality. And if I remember correctly you had no issue with the world thinking my grandson was Julian's son."

"You know last week was the first time I actually witnessed my son with his father, I actually watched Lucas with Keithan, saw how much he loves him," she shook her head, "somewhere along the way in this last year I have lost sight of what matters in this world, what I want for my son and myself. I have focused so much time and energy on the material things, on trying to build this phony life, I've realized that I am turning into you."

"What do you want me to say Brooke? That I failed you as a mother? That I caused you not to have a relationship with your father? Look around you dear," Victoria said coldly, "you've got everything you've ever wanted."

"Not everything."

"When I was your age, I dreamed of having a clothing line, of having a business, of all the things you have. But I stupidly fell in love. And one morning, your father and I got a little surprise. I told him I didn't want kids. It was never the plan. But he wanted a son more than anything. And as soon as I got fat, he had an excuse to jump into any bed he wanted. And when we had our little baby girl, I made sure I would never be pregnant again. If I couldn't have my dream, your father couldn't have his, either."

"Well congratulations mother," Brooke said as she placed a file folder on her desk, "you got your dream."

"What is this," Victoria asked picking the folder up.

"You now have a company, but no daughter, and sure as hell no grandson," Brooke said as she started gathering her things, Victoria was looking through the documents in the file. Brooke picked her son up, "it's all there, I signed over my shares, you can have it. It's not worth my son's happiness or my heart. I'm done with Clothes Over Bros."

"Brooke," Victoria said shaking her head, "don't be childish. This is ridiculous. You're my daughter and he's my grandson."

"Not anymore. Goodbye Victoria," Brooke said walking out of the office.

Brooke Davis was nervous. She was scared. The choices she had made in her life weren't always thought out, they weren't always what was best. She tended to make the choices that left her feeling protected, safe. This time however she'd gone out on a limb. She'd decided that the choices she made now had to be for her and Keithan. Of course not everyone would understand her choices, but she could live with that. She knew what she wanted in her life. So here she was. Standing on his porch, knocking on his door at nine o'clock on a Tuesday night.

"Hey," he said as he opened the door.

"Hi," she whispered. She felt her race a little, she was nervous.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought maybe we could talk," she said nervously, "Keithan is with Haley, and I thought we could talk."

"About what Brooke," he asked, "you taking him to L.A.? You pretending that Julian is his father? I don't really have time for this."

"Luke, please," she said.

"Hey, who is it," she heard the voice coming from inside the house.

"Kenzie," she said as she saw the blonde appear beside Lucas.

"Brooke," she said as she looked at the brunette.

"So, I guess," Brooke stammered unsure of what she was actually seeing.

"I'll be inside," Kenzie said.

"Ok," Brooke sighed as she watched the blonde walk away.

"Look I'm busy, Brooke," he said angrily.

"Are you two," she hesitated, not wanting to actually ask the question, knowing that the answer was not what she wanted to hear, "Lucas are you…"

"With her? Yeah, is that what you want to hear," he asked, "I don't have time for this, Brooke. When you want to let me see my son call me," Lucas said, then shut the door. She stood there stunned. Tears were streaming her face as she made her way to her car.

"Are you coming in," Nathan asked as he walked out on his front porch.

"Yeah," she said wiping her eyes, "give me a minute."

"Brooke," he said sitting beside her, "you've been out here for a while."

"I know," she sighed.

"What happened," Nathan asked.

"Kenzie was there," she said, Nathan sighed. He knew Luke was hurt, but that seemed pretty low. "He is angry because I went to L.A.," she forced a laugh.

"Did you tell him why, I mean that you went and signed your company a way."

"No," she said, "he closed the door in my face, said that when I wanted to let him see Keithan that I should call. God, Nathan, why does everything have to be so screwed up?"

"It's a Tree Hill thing I think," he said putting an arm around her.

"Did I make a mistake," she asked, "I just gave away the one thing that mattered to me in this world besides my son, and for what? Luke won't even talk to me, and he's with Kenzie, Nate."

"Did you do it for him," Nathan asked, she didn't answer, "I mean did you sign away your company for Lucas, Brooke?"

"No," she said with a shrug, "I don't think so. I don't know, you know, in my mind it was for Keithan and me, so that we could get free from that life, but I think part of it was for him. I mean, if he wasn't here, if he wasn't Keithan's dad, we would've stayed there. My life was there, my company, Julian, all of it."

"Do you regret coming here, letting Lucas know about Keithan?"

"Leaving Julian behind, uprooting my life," she shrugged, "I don't know. Honestly, I don't know."

"You two ok," Haley asked walking outside carrying the baby monitor.

"Yeah," Nathan said as Haley sat beside him, "we are," he kissed Haley's head as he stood up and grabbed the monitor from her. "I am gonna leave you two alone."

"You really ok," Haley asked as she scooted closer to Brooke. She nodded, they both knew the truth, "Brooke, I had no clue about Kenzie, if I had I would've said something, you know."

"I know," Brooke said quietly, "thanks, by the way, for taking care of Keithan."

"Hey, he's my nephew, it's no problem."

"What do I do," Brooke asked, "I have nothing left now, I gave Victoria all of it."

"Hey, you have your son, Brooke, and you have all of us. That company didn't make you who you are," Haley said as she wrapped an arm around her, "you are a great mom, you're a great friend, Brooke, and you're going to be ok."

"I thought we were ok, Luke and I were actually talking and spending time with Keithan together, but that's done. He's so pissed, and he's with Kenzie, Haley," Brooke said.

"I don't know about that," Haley said. "Lucas is hurt, Brooke, you are both so stubborn sometimes. He is afraid of losing Keithan, and I get that, I mean what was he going to think when Julian shows up and you run of to L.A. with him."

"That's not how it was," Brooke said defensively.

"I know that, and you know that," Haley said, "but does Luke know that?"

"He wouldn't talk to me Hales, I mean that morning when he brought Keithan home and Julian was there, god he was mad. And I wanted to try and talk to him, but he wouldn't let me."

"Well, maybe you gotta try harder. I mean, things worth having in your life never come easy."

"The worst part," Brooke sighed, "is that I wanted to punch her in the face. She comes to the door all sweet and innocent, I can't stand her."

"Wow," Haley laughed a little, "looks like you and Jamie are on the same team, he's not fond of Kenzie either." Brooke smiled at that. They sat quietly for a couple of minutes. "You still love him don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Brooke whispered, she sighed as she leaned against her best friend, "and that's hurts the most."