"What the hell were you thinking Lucas?!" Keith demanded as he dragged the adolescent to his car after a thorough discussion with the school principal. "Getting into school fights, disappearing for weeks on end and giving your mother the silent treatment?! Not to mention the disrespectful way that you talked to me!"

Lucas rolled his eyes and said, "Keith…I'm sorry for blaming you about what went on with that whole situation with Brooke. Peyton is the one that let Ted know about me and Brooke. I left to get Brooke back and we have been together ever since. As for the fight…Julian pushed me too far. Him and Peyton. I just snapped."

They both got into his black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and left the premises.

"From what I've heard from your principal Julian may need a new face."

Lucas sighed, "Oh well…he shouldn't have called Brooke a skank."

"Well in case you have forgotten Almighty Lucas Scott, so did you! For months!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "That was before I really knew her. There's no excuse for him! He knew her! He's just angry because she had never slept with him!"

Keith shook his head, "I knew that girl was trouble. But honestly even though I don't agree with your choices as of lately—she's good for you."

"Really?"

"The Lucas that I helped raise is a good kid. Shy, reserved but lonely and here comes this vivacious little slip of a girl that shakes up everything and next thing I hear my Lucas is living and in love." he chuckled and looked at his nephew and ruffled his hair. "I just want you to make better decisions son."

"You mean with mom?" he asked warily.

"She's still your mother Lucas."

He exhaled and shook his head, "I know that… It's just hard for me to forgive her… because of them I lost my kid—"

Keith's eyes bugged, "Kid?! As in baby?!"

Lucas cursed his freudian slip. "Yeah Brooke was pregnant with my child when she left. Her stupid fucking mother beat her damn near every single day until she lost it." Anger and pain as well as hatred marred his face. "Brooke was so strong. She hid it from me until I saw it with my own eyes when it was happening."

"Yeah I… heard. You know they still think that Brooke ran away somewhere."

Lucas head snapped to his uncle's direction and growled, "As they should. They don't deserve to know that she's alright. Not yet anyway."

"So what is your game plan? Obviously you're not going back home…so where are you staying?"

Lucas wanted to trust Keith but he found himself saying, "I'm staying with Marvin McFadden and his family for awhile. Brooke is living with her friend Quinn. That is until I get a job and then an apartment of my own."

"It's more to that you know. It's not going to be easy. You have to first get the job, then save up for the place. Then save more to afford the furniture. Then save more to afford the bills. And the bills come like clockwork. Every month on a set day and time. You're not going to have any time for fun…plus you will still have to go to school because you are a minor."

Lucas knew that Keith was trying to overwhelm him but after working for himself and being able to take care of his girl—he couldn't be overwhelmed. He knows the value of hard work and the feeling of pride that it gave him when providing for himself and Brooke. He actually missed it.

"I'll be fine."

"Alright… if you're so set on doing this then why don't you work for me at the shop?"

Lucas was stunned silent at first then he asked, "Are you serious?"

"Yep. So what do you say?"

"A job's a job. Thanks Uncle Keith." his smart phone then rang, he screened the call then answered, "What's up Pretty Girl? Oh I'm with Uncle Keith… it's a very long story. Uh, I will be there after awhile and then I will drop you off at Quinn's. I promise I will explain everything later. Alright I love you baby."

Brooke looked at her phone in bewilderment and remained in the library. Even though school was over. She looked at the time and sighed, gathering her purse and smart phone before heading out. She looked both ways cautiously and went to Lucas's truck to just wait there.

She spotted Alex, Peyton and Julian rushing to her car, Julian's nose bleeding profusely while sporting two black eyes.

"What the fu—"

"I heard your boyfriend Lucas did that. So how does it feel taking your brother's dick in your mouth you dirty slut?" Rachel said with a bitchy smirk.

Brooke blanked out, memories of her mother's wedge shoe hitting her in her side over and over while she called her a dirty slut…

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rachel asked watching her cowering out of nowhere, flinching and whimpering.

"What the hell did you do Rachel?!" Haley asked as she helped a trembling Brooke to her feet.

Rachel was actually clueless about what happened. "I didn't do anything! I just made fun of her a little bit!"

"Stay away from her you rotten ass bitch or you'll have me to deal with!" Haley said as she led her friend to Nathan's car. "Babe she's riding with us."

"What happened?" Nathan asked, alarmed to see Brooke so shaken.

Haley helped her in then stated, "Rachel's dumb ass said something to set her off. Call Lucas!"

Nathan called his brother and told him everything that was going on and told him to hurry to the house. They helped her up to the apartment and put her into bed. She had protested but had crawled into the bed in exhaustion.

Not even thirty minutes later Lucas came into the apartment looking panic stricken. "Where is she?"

"Haley's the one that found her. She can tell you more than I can. All I can say is Brooke was really freaked out."

Haley walked into the room and sat down on the couch. "She's asleep right now…"

"What happened?" Lucas asked, needing to know what he was walking into.

Haley spotted his bruised hand and exclaimed, "What the hell happened to your hand?"

He smirked then said, "You should see the other guy." he then turned serious. "Let's focus on Brooke for right now. What happened Hales?"

"Okay, um, I was just walking to Nathan's car when I saw Rachel and Brooke talking. Suddenly Brooke started cowering and shaking uncontrollably. She was flinching when I got to them. All Rachel would say was that she didn't do anything and was making fun of her. I don't know what was said… I really wish I did."

Lucas sat down while Nathan went in the freezer to get some ice for his bruised hand. "Are you going to tell us what happened with that?"

"Julian."

"Peyton's boyfriend? Why would you get into it with him?"

"He called her a skank and I just lost it. All I remember is whaling on his face and being pulled off of him by someone. Hence why I was with Uncle Keith. I was going to tell Brooke about it but with this happening…I don't think that telling her about what was said will help her any. Until she gets past this I don't want her to hear any derogatory name. Period. That bitch really messed Brooke's head up to the point that she believes any bad thing said about her."

Both of them nodded in agreement.

Lucas walked into their bedroom and found Brooke curled up in bed, a pillow tucked against her as she snuggled it, tear streaks drying on her face. She looked so vulnerable and broken. He knew he was in over his head but he also knew love conquered all. So he would fuel her with all the love in his heart to get her back to her former glory. If possible.

He kissed her forehead and settled in next to her. She instinctively sought his warmth and sighed as soon as he held her.

"I love you Brooke Penelope Davis…"

"Mm I love you too Lucas Eugene Scott." she sighed, backing into him a bit more, going back to sleep.

The next day Lucas was walking across the bridge when he saw someone about to jump. He hadn't realized that it was Brooke. He stopped her just in time and had rocked her sobbing frame. She told him that they were bullying her about their relationship whenever she was alone at school and that Peyton was the ringleader.

She had been in a sour mood ever since then. She had been snapping at everyone until Haley tried to breach the subject of her behavior to her and was almost immediately cursed out by the brunette.

"Just leave me alone for once! All of you! I feel like I'm fucking suffocating!" she yelled out angrily.

Lucas looked at her taken aback at first then shouted back, "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!!"

Nathan leaned into his brother's ear then said for everyone to hear, "Wow someone's in a bitchy mood."

Lucas gave his brother an are-you-serious look.

Brooke turned her heated gaze on him, "Blow it out your ass Nathan!"

Lucas took her in his arms then looked her directly in her broken hazel eyes, "I've taken all I can take—you need to calm the fuck down!"

"Shut the hell up Luke!"

He glared at her then replied, "You first Brooke!"

She narrowed her eyes, "Real mature Lucas!"

"I would if I were in mature company! Now what the hell is going on here? Why are you snapping at everybody?"

She calmed down realizing he was right, "Sorry—my mind is elsewhere."

He shook his head and took her to the side. He then hugged her to him, murmuring, "Don't do that—don't hide what you're feeling. Don't shut me out! Now tell me what's wrong…"

She looked up into his amazing blue eyes with painful honesty and then shrugged, "I don't know Lucas. One minute I feel like I'm getting better then the next…I feel like I'm going crazy."

"You're not going crazy…you're just dealing with a lot of shit that's all. I don't mean to suffocate you but I feel as if I don't have you next to me something else will happen and I can't take that."

"It's just so hard Lucas. I hate feeling like I'm weak…and honestly I don't know if I can keep putting you through this. You didn't sign up for this—"

Lucas held her tighter, "Neither did you! You didn't ask for any of this! Baby…we are all we have. I need you just as much as you need me."

Brooke nodded and kissed him softly. "I know…just be patient with me. I'm trying."

"I know. I won't ever give up on you."