A/N: Alright all of my favorite Readers/Reviewers, here is the next chapter! I'm so sorry that it took so long, I was originally planning to update last sunday, but we had a few family emergencies...but life is slowly returning to normal again! I'm sorry it took so long though, and thank you for being patient! The good news is, I'm almost done with school, I just have one final this coming week and then I will be done, giving me lots of time to write and update during the summer! So thats exciting right? Anyways...the song in this chapter is 'I'll Be' by Edwin McCain. I hope you guys like this chapter, I know it was long awaited...but hey, suspense is good right?? :D


The strands in your eyes

That color them wonderful

Stop me and steal my breath

Chapter Twenty-Eight- Take Me There

"So…" Chae started, looking down at Averie as she softly tickled the baby's arms. "You and Lucas…you're getting pretty serious huh?" Chae asked as she lay on Brooke's bed with Averie while Brooke got ready for her big date with Lucas.

Brooke looked over at Chae from the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She set the makeup brush down that she was holding, "It's just a date" she said plainly, then lifting the brush back up to her cheeks she lightly brushed them with the bronzer.

Chae nodded, "So you are dating then?" She questioned, looking from Averie to Brooke.

"What's with all the questions?" Brooke asked, now picking up a tube of mascara. Chae shrugged and turned her attention back to Averie, leaning her head down and whispering to the little girl. Brooke kept working on her makeup, making sure to keep it classic looking and not too overdone. She was getting nervous for Lucas to come, and she had no idea why. She really had no reason to be nervous…but for some reason she couldn't help it. After she finished her makeup she walked out of the bathroom and sat down on the bed by Chae. She picked up Averie and cradled the tiny baby in her arms.

"So, I'm going to see Jake tomorrow" Chae said, almost plainly. It felt like she hadn't seen him for so long, and was excited to see him again. She was still having trouble being away from him all the time and it made her question their relationship. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to do the long distance thing and she wished there was another way. She liked Jake a lot, but she didn't like the feeling of being away from him.

"You are?" Brooke asked confusion evident in her tone. "When did you plan this?"

"Jake called me this morning" Chae explained, sitting up and crossing her legs as she leant back onto the palms of her hands. "It was kind of spur of the moment…"

"Yeah, I'd say" Brooke said with a laugh. She reached her hand out and placed it on Chae's knee, smiling softly at her friend. "I'm happy you get to go see him. I know you guys have been missing each other…"

"It'll be good" Chae agreed with a nod. Her eyes lit up as she smiled at Brooke before speaking, "He actually needs me to help him with a surprise he has for you…"

Brooke narrowed her eyes at Chae, a smirk playing off of her lips. "And the surprise would be?"

Chae laughed before climbing off of the bed, "Can't tell you" she said as she walked towards Brooke's closet. "So, what are you going to wear Brookie-Cookie?"

Brooke groaned as she followed Chae into the closet. "I have no clue" She whined, watching as Chae looked through her clothes. Brooke leaned down, kissing the top of Averie's head. "What should Mommy wear, huh Ave?"

Chae pulled out a tight fitting strapless mini dress and held it out to Brooke. "How about this?" She asked, turning the dress around to examine the back.

Brooke scrunched up her face and shook her head fiercely. "I don't think so…it's too…tight."

"If you say so" Chae shrugged, hanging the dress back up in the closet. She didn't know why Brooke was so insecure about her body after having Averie. Chae was actually jealous of it; Brooke's boobs were huge now! She pulled another dress out; it was a black strapless Dolce dress. It was loose fitting, and could be dressed up or down. The material was bunched up at the bust, making it very flattering. It ended right above the knees, so it wasn't too short. "I don't think I've ever even seen you wear this" Chae said with a laugh, she ran her fingers along the soft dress and found a price tag. "You have way too many clothes…but I like this one, I think this is it."

Brooke took the dress from Chae and ran her fingers along the dark fabric. She finally nodded her head and said, "I'll try it." She handed Averie to Chae who went back into Brooke's room and sat on the bed. Brooke walked out a few seconds later now wearing the black dress. The dress hung lightly off of her body, but still managed to make her figure look amazing. Her skin looked golden against the dark material and Chae gave her an approving smile. Brooke bit on her lip, looking down at the dress and back up at Chae. "What do ya think?" She asked nervously, her fingers pulling on the dress to adjust it.

Chae nodded her head quickly, "I love it, I think you should definitely wear that one" Chae brought a finger up to her chin in thought before smiling. "You should wear those new Gucci strappy heels that you just bought, the shiny black ones."

Brooke smiled "Good thinking" she said in agreement, walking back into the closet in search of the shoes. She came out again dressed in a tank top and sweats holding the dress in one hand and the shoes in the other. She went into the bathroom and started to curl her hair in big waves while Chae and Averie kept her company. She had finally finished and was getting nervous because it was almost time for Lucas to arrive.

Brooke took Averie from Chae so that she could feed the baby before she left. After Averie was done eating Brooke burped her and then changed the baby into her pajamas. Brooke quickly changed into her dress before her and Averie met up with Chae in the living room.

"You look gorgeous" Chae gushed, a huge smile on her face.

"Thanks" Brooke said, quickly smiling at Chae before kissing Averie and handing her to her friend. "Okay, so I pumped some breast milk, she should take a bottle for you when she gets hungry again. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but it's in the kitchen just in case. You know where all of her stuff is right?"

Chae rolled her eyes at Brooke, "I do live here too ya know" She said with a long, annoyed sigh. Brooke breathed in deeply, obviously trying to calm herself down. "I know you are nervous about leaving her, but she'll be fine…you and Lucas deserve a night out together."

Brooke nodded unsurely, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She sat down on the couch and started putting on her shoes. The doorbell rang and Brooke quickly stood to answer it.

"Brooke" Chae said quickly and waited as Brooke turned around before leaving the room. "This is one of those moments…"

"What?" Brooke asked, not understanding what Chae was getting at.

"When it all changes…you should know, you are the one always talking about these moments when it all changes...this is one of them" Chae said smiling up at her friend as she tickled Averie's tiny feet.

Brooke smiled nervously at Chae and nodded unsurely. She then walked towards the door, checking her appearance in the mirror on the way. She quickly opened the door to find Lucas standing there in a blue button up shirt and black dress pants. He smiled at her before bringing his hand from behind his back, revealing a bouquet of different colored wild flowers.

He held the flowers out to her, "You are beautiful" he said bluntly, as if it was the only thing he was sure of. He couldn't help but stare at her and think about how lucky he was. She left him breathless every time she was in his presence, and at that moment he knew that he would never let her go again. She felt her cheeks blush as she took the flowers from him and he leaned in, placing a hand on her waist and softly kissing her lips.

"You don't look so bad yourself" She smirked, walking into the apartment with Lucas in tow. She went into the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase of water and Lucas walked into the living room.

"So what are you two doing tonight?" Chae asked as she handed Averie to Lucas.

"Oh, ya know" he said with a shrug before turning his attention to his daughter. "Daddy missed you today" he told Averie as he kissed her chubby cheeks.

Brooke picked up her small black Kate Spade bag before heading into the living room. She snuck up behind Lucas, wrapping an arm around his waist as she stood at his side. After running her free hand along Averie's back she looked up at Lucas, "Ready to go?"

After Brooke and Lucas said goodbye to Chae and Averie, they headed out the door. Brooke was a nervous wreck about leaving Averie for over an hour, but as Lucas linked his fingers in between hers she began to feel a little bit better.

OTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTH

Lucas wrapped his arm tightly around Brooke's bare shoulders as they walked down the busy streets of New York. It was getting darker outside, and the sidewalks were crowded with people. The city was alive and filled with noise. There were people rushing around while cars and taxi's honked from the street. Brooke still had moments when she was overwhelmed by the busy city…she wasn't used to this in Tree Hill. She made sure to stay close to Lucas, her hand gripping his tightly as it hung off of her shoulder.

They finally stopped in front of a very nice and busy restaurant. There were tons of people just standing outside in front of it, all of which were dressed very nicely. Lucas removed his arm from Brooke's shoulder, quickly grabbing her hand as he pushed through people until they made it to the door.

"I have a reservation, under Scott" Lucas said clearly to the petite woman that stood at the door.

She checked her list and then smiled up at Lucas, "Right this way" she told them before she led them through the elegant restaurant. "You're waiter will be right with you" she said with a smile before leaving the two at their table.

"Luke" Brooke gasped, her eyes wide as she looked around her, "You didn't have to." This restaurant was nice, and she knew it had to be expensive.

Lucas smiled, reaching across the table for her hand. "I know, but I wanted to. I mean this is our first date and all." He said, his eyes shining as he stared at her.

"Yeah, I guess you do have to make a good impression" She said, narrowing her eyes towards him as she smiled.

After they both ordered their meals and Lucas requested a bottle of wine, they immediately fell into comfortable conversation.

"Chae is going to see Jake tomorrow" Brooke said casually as she twirled the liquid in her glass around. "She's been having such a hard time being away from him, so it'll be really good for her. I mean even he's having a hard time with it."

"So are they pretty serious then?" Lucas asked, thinking it sounded a little bit like his relationship with Brooke.

"I think they are, just without titles. Chae's being all weird about it" Brooke said with a shrug.

"So, that means that you'll have the apartment to yourself this weekend?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow at Brooke as he playfully slid his foot along her bare leg underneath the table.

"That's right Broody Boy" Brooke said, her voice low and raspy as she leant in towards him. She bit on her lip as she trailed her fingers up his arm that was resting on the table. "But you're forgetting something…" she said, tilting her head to the side. "Her name is Averie, and she sleeps in my room" Brooke finished, her voice returning to normal as she brought her hand back to her lap.

Lucas nodded slowly, scooting his chair around the small round table so that he was closer to Brooke's side. He leaned his head down by her ear, "Then I guess we'll have to get creative" he whispered. He sat up facing her again to see Brooke stare at him, her mouth open in shock.

"Hey!" A voice said, snapping both Brooke and Lucas from their thoughts. They looked up to see a guy that was around Lucas' age standing at the table. "You are Lucas Scott…I can't believe you left the Knicks" the guy said, shaking his head as he laughed, obviously thinking that Lucas was an idiot for leaving the team. "I thought you were great though, you really had potential."

"Some things are just more important" Lucas said plainly staring directly at Brooke, not really caring what this guy thought.

The guy looked between Brooke and Lucas, "So, the rumors are true then?"

OTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTH

Brooke and Lucas eventually finished their dinner and left the crowded expensive restaurant. They were only interrupted three times, and according to Lucas that was pretty good. He was used to being stopped more than that, whether he was at a restaurant or a grocery store. Brooke didn't know how he could handle it; she would hate her life to be out there for everyone to see. Lucas had promised to take her somewhere quieter now, and Brooke was excited when they walked down the street to Central Park. She had only been there a few other times, but right now, there with Lucas it just seemed different. Romantic even.

They held hands as they walked through the park. Surprisingly, there weren't many people there. Brooke figured that everyone had better things to do on a Friday night in New York City. They approached a park bench that was surrounded by green trees, and sat down.

Lucas wrapped an arm around Brooke and pulled her towards him. She rested her head onto his shoulder, and after a few minutes of silence Lucas spoke up. "So, I was thinking, maybe tonight we should get to know each other better. I know I could have planned an awesome steal-your-breath-away kind of date…but I thought this might be better."

Brooke sat up so that she could look Lucas in the eyes. "What do you mean get to know each other better?" She asked, not really knowing what he was getting at.

"Well," Lucas said, smiling at her as he trailed his fingers softly up and down her bare arms. "Yesterday you told my mom how you have your own business, a pretty great business from the sounds of it…and I didn't even know about that. Shouldn't I know that about the girl I love?"

"The girl you love?" Brooke questioned, smiling cheerfully up at him.

Lucas smiled nervously, "Yeah" he said plainly with a shrug. Brooke smiled at him before resting her head back onto his shoulder. He hugged her tighter against him before he started to talk again. "I always come here to think, this is my bench. Whenever I have a big decision to make, this is probably where you'll find me. I also come here to clear my mind. All through High School I would just escape to this park, to this bench, and just sit and think, or read a book. Something about this place just calms me."

"So I take it this is a great brooding spot?" Brooke questioned a little sarcastically. Lucas mumbled a yes, and Brooke sat up again, biting on her lip uneasily before she spoke. She narrowed her eyes at him, almost as if what she was about to say would make her tear up. "Will you tell me about your family? What was it like growing up with your parents? They just seem so…great."

Lucas reached over for her hand, entwining his fingers within hers. "My mom got pregnant right out of High School. I think it was a big shock, and I guess my dad freaked out a little bit. But it didn't last long, and they eventually got their act together. My dad gave up basketball in college so that he could be around more."

"He gave up basketball for his family?" Brooke asked, looking up at him with the same anxious expression. She could tell that Lucas was a lot like his dad.

"Yeah" Lucas said, smiling softly at her. "I think sometimes he wishes he would've kept playing, but he knew what was important. My childhood was pretty normal I guess. Both of my parents were always there for me, and most of the time we got along."

"How come it took them so long to have Lily?"

"I don't think they were planning to have more kids, Lily came as a surprise. It was my first year in college, and they came to visit me out of the blue. My mom told me she was pregnant, and they were actually ecstatic about it. I was kind of upset at first, but got over it eventually. Now, I couldn't imagine life without her."

"She's great Lucas" Brooke said smiling sadly before leaning into him. He immediately wrapped both of his arms around her and she rested her head against his chest. "Your whole family is great…" Her voice trailed off at the end, growing quieter with each word.

"What about you?" Lucas asked, "Your parents must have been great, because you are amazing" he told her honestly as he hugged her small body against his larger one.

"My parents were never around" Brooke said sadly. "I mean, I doubt they even know my middle name. I was pretty much raised by nannies, and Haley's parents. When I met Haley in third grade, they kind of just took me in. But it wasn't the same. It's almost as if my mom was ashamed of me, if she had a daughter, it just made her look older. And that's the last thing she wanted" Brooke said bitterly. "The nannies came and went; I didn't have time to get attached. When I turned 13 they stopped coming completely. But that's when the gold cards started arriving. My parents threw money at me like it was no ones business."

Lucas was pretty much shocked. He knew that Brooke didn't have a great relationship with her parents, but he didn't realize how bad it actually was. "Brooke-" he started before she cut him off.

"Its okay" she said, her voice returning to normal, "I mean I'm here today aren't I?" She said with a smirk. She hated to talk about her past, or even think about it. Even though she acted like she was unfazed by it, she couldn't help but hurt. Brooke had always craved her parent's attention, but she had never gotten it. She usually didn't tell people about her family, but with Lucas it just felt okay. Deciding that she didn't want to ruin her date with Lucas, she pushed those thoughts from her mind completely. "Tell me more about your mom" she said, almost pleading with him.

"You see this scar?" Lucas said, waiting as Brooke sat up to look at him. He parted his hair slightly at the front, and Brooke saw a small pink line. Letting his hair fall back into place he continued. "I got it when my parents bought their first house. It was small, and had a one car garage. But it was one of those old garages, where it pulls straight out and then pushes back…My mom was so excited to be able to park her car in a real garage. I was only about three at the time, and I was standing next to her as she began to open the garage door. But when she lifted it up, it hit me square in the forehead" Lucas said with a laugh as Brooke's eyes grew big. "There was blood running down my face and I was screaming like a maniac. I remember my mom bursting into tears, which freaked me out so I just cried louder. My dad was at work, so one of the neighbors drove us to the emergency room. By the time we got there I had calmed down, but my mom was a mess. I got 7 stitches and was fine, but I'm not sure my mom ever recovered" Lucas said with a laugh.

"Your poor mom!" Brooke gasped, lifting her hand to his head, her fingers softly touching the small scar. They laughed about the scar that was left on Lucas' head and permanently in his moms mind. "So did you play basketball all through high school and college?"

"Yeah" Lucas said with a laugh, thinking it was probably the most obvious thing in the world. "In college I loved playing ball, it was so competitive and it felt so good being out there with a riled up crowd. Just knowing how that one game could lift so many people was amazing."

"So did you graduate before you went and played for the Knicks?"

"Yeah, I got my bachelors degree in Journal Broadcasting, and I got my associates in English Literature. I love to write almost as much as I love basketball, and now I finally have the time to pursue it." Lucas said happily.

"So do you think that's what you are gonna do?" Brooke asked, looking up into his eyes, "Write?"

"That's what I'd like to do…but I gotta find a way to do it to where I can actually make money" Lucas told her, raising his eyebrows. Brooke nodded, leaning her head down into his shoulder. He slowly trailed his fingers lightly up and down her bare arm. "I've actually started writing a book."

"Oh yeah?" Brooke questioned, her head still lying on his shoulder. "What's it about?"

"Well," Lucas sighed, his fingers still slowly moving along her arm, "It's kind of about my life. About finding my way through basketball." Brooke nodded and they both sat silent for a few minutes. "I guess it's kind of about you" Lucas said quietly, breaking the silence.

Brooke sat up and looked towards Lucas, narrowing her eyes at him. "Oh is it?" Brooke said sarcastically as she laughed.

"I'm serious" Lucas said, smiling down at her. "Without basketball, I never would've met you" he said with a shrug. Lucas placed a hand on her cheek and slowly moved towards her, his lips softly meeting hers.

OTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTHbrucasOTH

"So, now that I've told you all about me" Lucas said, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at Brooke, "I want to know all about you." He said, smiling at her as they walked through the park. He kept his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as they walked.

Brooke bit her lip, loosening her arms that were wrapped around Luke's middle. She looked up at him and smiled as he gently moved a piece of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. "How about we go back to my apartment and I'll show you" Brooke told him. She loved hearing all about his life and his family growing up, but she was nervous to tell him about hers. She was never really open with people when it came to her life; it was easier for her to just put on a happy front. Not to mention, she wasn't exactly proud of her past.

They headed towards Lucas' truck. He held the door open for Brooke and grabbed onto her hand as she climbed inside. Lucas got into the drivers seat and after buckling his seatbelt he drove off towards Brooke's apartment. Brooke quietly looked out of the window as Lucas kept his eyes on the road.

He looked over at her and smiled, watching as she twirled her hair around her fingers. "I know it wasn't much…but thanks for coming tonight" he said happily, breaking the silence between the two.

Brooke looked over at him, snapped out of her thoughts. She dropped her hair out of her fingers and smiled at him. "It was really great Lucas" she said honestly, reaching across the seat for his hand. "I should be thanking you." Lucas smiled at her and squeezed her hand lightly before looking back at the road. "How do you think Ave is doing?"

"You should know" Lucas said with a laugh, "I saw you texting Chae under the table while we were at dinner."

"Only a couple times" Brooke stated, rolling her eyes. Lucas looked over at her with raised eyebrows. "So maybe more than a couple times…I was worried! Sue me!"

"I know you are dying to check your phone" Lucas said matter of factly, smiling over at the anxious brunette. Brooke looked over at him, biting her lip. She finally exhaled deeply and released his hand, digging around her bag for her cell phone.

"Gotcha!" She grinned triumphantly once she had located the small silver phone, lifting it in the air and waving it around victoriously. She opened it and punched some buttons, "This message was from a half hour ago, Chae said she drank a bottle and is sleeping."

"Good" Lucas grinned, "I told you she'd be fine. Anyways, I think you should've been more worried about Chae then Averie…"

They finally arrived at Brooke's apartment building, and Lucas was in awe at how quickly Brooke moved down the street in what he thought had to have been the tallest heels ever. Lucas watched Brooke as she tapped her fingers together anxiously while they stepped into the elevator and waited for the doors to close. She couldn't wait to see her baby, and Lucas found it cute. He stepped towards her, grabbing her hands to stop them from tapping.

"Calm down" he said, laughing lightly. He leaned down; pressing his lips against hers as he slowly moved her towards the wall in the elevator. Brooke relaxed into him, her hands moving up his chest to rest behind his neck. Lucas ran his tongue along her lips, smiling as she parted them. Brooke moaned against his mouth, leaning further back into the wall, glad that it was there to support her. Lucas' hands roamed all along her sides as he deepened the kiss even further. Just when Brooke pulled his head closer to hers; causing his lips to crash even harder against hers they heard a loud ding, signaling that they had reached their floor.

Lucas moaned dejectedly as he stepped away from Brooke. She smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed and her hazel eyes sparkling. He reached a hand up to her cheek and softly touched it before her smile grew and she slid past him, practically running towards her apartment. Lucas shook his head and laughed before following that crazy girl that had stolen his heart without him even knowing it.

Brooke fumbled with her keys, and finally unlocked the apartment. She walked inside, not bothering to wait for Lucas who was behind her. "Where's my baby?" She questioned to no one in particular as she dropped her bag on the ground and walked into the living room. Lucas walked behind her, closing the front door and locking it and then picking up her purse and setting it on the counter.

Brooke walked into her bedroom after checking the living room and stopped in front of Lucas. "They aren't in there either…it's really quiet in here" Brooke said, scrunching up her face. She tapped her finger against her chin and thought for a minute. She then smiled and walked towards Chae's room, slowly opening the door. She poked her head inside and motioned for Lucas to come over there. "Aww" Brooke smiled, putting her hand up to her heart as she moved aside so that Lucas could see.

"She is out like a light" Lucas whispered. Chae and Averie were both lying on Chae's big bed, sound asleep. Averie looked so tiny and precious, laying there wrapped up like a burrito in a light yellow blanket. Her brown hair was sticking up all over and her mouth was slowly moving as she sucked on a white binky. Brooke started to move towards her and Lucas reached his hand out to stop her. "Let her sleep, she'll be up soon anyways" He said quietly so that they wouldn't wake the two sleeping girls up. Brooke looked at him unsurely and he smiled at her. She finally nodded her head and followed him out of the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind them.

"I'm just gonna go change" Brooke said before patting Lucas on the chest and walking towards her bedroom. She came out a few minutes later with a pair of sweats on, a tank top and her hair piled on top of her head. She walked towards Lucas who was sitting on the couch and flipping through a magazine that Chae had bought earlier that day. He shook his head as he noticed a small picture of Brooke, Averie and himself from when they met his mom for lunch. Brooke reached for his hand, and he looked up smiling at how amazing she looked even in pajamas. "Come here" Brooke said softly, as she pulled him off of the couch.

Lucas dropped the magazine onto the couch and obediently followed Brooke, her fingers still holding lightly onto his. They were both silent as they walked into her room, and he couldn't help but smile when he saw her bed covered with different dresses and accessories.

"You wanted to know more about me" Brooke said, sounding a little bit nervous as she stood in front of him. "And I want you to know more about me….maybe not everything though" She said, laughing lightly. "Sit down" Brooke told him, lightly pushing his chest until he fell into a seated position on her bed.

Lucas waited patiently as he watched Brooke disappear into her walk-in closet. He smiled as she reemerged carrying a large black book and a dark purple photo album. She walked towards him, sitting down next to him on the bed. She set the books down next to her and breathed deeply as she looked down at her hands.

"I guess I was kind of lost when I was growing up" Brooke said, still looking down at her hands. "I tried to find myself in different ways….mainly guys and alcohol" she said with a light laugh. "When I was in High School I met Kade. He was older than me and all my friends and he liked me. I held onto that, you know the feeling of being wanted" she said nervously, looking up at Lucas who she could feel staring at her. He placed his hand on her lower back, rubbing it slowly and urging her to continue. "But none of it was enough. I didn't do great in school…probably because I'd rather party than study. But I've always loved fashion. Everything about it…all of the details, and the colors and the fabrics. How much thought and work that went into one simple dress. It's so much more than just clothes. I started to sketch and sew and my friends liked what I made. Haley actually helped me start a website where I started to sell my clothes."

"So this is how it all began" Lucas said with a nod, finally starting to understand.

"Yeah. And it did pretty well. I was so excited, and I couldn't wait to tell my mom. I thought that having a somewhat successful internet business at 17 would be enough to make her proud. I emailed her and told her all about it, I even sent her the link to my website. I waited for over a week for her to email me back, and I was so excited. I had never been more excited over anything. I just knew that my mom was going to be proud of me." Brooke suddenly stopped talking and directed her eyes anywhere but at Lucas. She looked up, doing anything to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.

"It's okay" Lucas said softly as he leaned in towards her ear. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards him to reassure her.

"She finally emailed me back" Brooke said, her voice losing its confidence. "She said that I needed to grow up, get my head out of the clouds and stop with the ridiculous dreams." Brooke shrugged her shoulder, lifting a hand to her cheeks to wipe a tear that had strayed.

Lucas wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her into a hug. She rested her head on his chest, and he felt his heart breaking for her. He had always had the love and support of both of his parents, he had no idea how it would be to crave it like Brooke always had. "Brooke…baby…" he whispered to her as he ran his fingers along her back. "She obviously doesn't know what she's talking about"

Brooke sniffled and finally pulled away from him. She wiped the last few tears away from her cheeks and reached for the black book. "You want to know more about me? This is my life…these are my sketches. They saved me…" Brooke said as she handed Lucas the black book.

"I don't know much about clothes" Lucas admitted as he flipped through the pages, stopping to examine each piece of clothing, "But these are amazing." He told her in awe.

"I don't know what would've happened to me if I wouldn't have had this" She told him, motioning towards the book filled with drawings. "After I got that email, it was my goal to prove her wrong. Even today, she won't acknowledge the things that I've done."

"Well, she is missing out Brooke" Lucas said confidently. "She is missing out on knowing such a great and talented person."

Brooke just shrugged and reached for the dark purple photo album. She waited for Lucas to finish looking through her sketches before she handed it to him. She leaned in towards him as he flipped through the pages. The first few pages were of her as a baby, and toddler. There weren't many pictures of her when she was young, and there was only one picture of her with her parents, but Lucas figured it didn't count since it was taken right after she was born. They laughed as they reached the scrapbooked pages from elementary school.

"Look at Haley's hair" Brooke giggled, pointing to the little girl with strawberry blonde hair. Her bangs were ratted out and poofy, and she had on mis-matched clothes.

"That's Haley?" Lucas asked in shock as he looked at the picture of the two little kids. In every picture Brooke was dressed nicely and her hair was always done. He figured that it was thanks to the nannies, but she just didn't look like a kid.

"Haley's mom gave me all of these pictures" Brooke explained as they looked through the pages, watching as Haley and Brooke grew up. "If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have any!"

"Whoa, is that Rachel?" Lucas asked, pointing to a picture of Brooke and a redhead.

"Yeah that would be her" Brooke laughed, looking at the self portrait that they had taken. They were both wearing way too much make-up, especially for being 13. She looked up at Lucas and saw the shocked look on his face as he looked at the pictures of Brooke and Rachel. In most of them they were at parties and wearing little clothing. "We were a little crazy" Brooke said with a nervous laugh.

"I see that" Lucas nodded, quickly flipping the pages. "So do you still have that uniform?" Lucas asked as he looked at the pictures of Brooke in her cheerleading uniform. "I've always had a thing for cheerleaders" he said slyly, raising an eyebrow at Brooke.

"Lucas!" Brooke laughed, slapping his arm. "I don't have it, and even if I did its not like I would fit into it!"

They continued looking through the album, both of them getting uncomfortable when there were pictures of her and Kade. It was amazing to both of them how different their lives were. As Lucas looked at the pictures of Brooke, he was amazed to see how much she had grown. She wasn't the insecure party girl that she once was anymore, and it actually made him proud of her. He felt like she had overcome so much in her life, and he really felt like he knew her a lot better now.

He closed the book and set it down on the bed next to him. Brooke had gotten quiet and was obviously thinking about something. Lucas reached his hand up to her cheek, making her look up at him. "You aren't that girl anymore Brooke" he told her, staring into her eyes. "You are loving, and strong. You are an amazing mom and a great person."

Brooke couldn't help but not believe Lucas' words. Every time she looked through her photo album she just remembered all of the put downs, all of the partying, and feeling lost and alone. But listening to Lucas now, and watching as he stared at her like she was the only person on earth, she knew that he believed in her. She hesitated for a second before finally pressing her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as they kissed. She let out all of her emotions into that kiss, all of the hurt and the pain, even the happiness and fear. For once she felt like she meant something, even if it was just to one person. And she couldn't help but feel good.

They lay in her bed, kissing for what seemed like hours, just enjoying being with each other. They were interrupted by a light tapping on the door, and Brooke sat up to see Chae standing in the doorway holding Averie.

"I think she's hungry" Chae said with a yawn, lightly bouncing the baby. Chae rubbed her eyes with her free hand and then opened them wide, taking in the scene of Brooke and Lucas for the first time. "So I guess your date went well…then again, you both have clothes on still."

Brooke rolled her eyes, climbing off the bed and walking towards Chae. "Thanks for that" Brooke told her friend as she lifted Averie into her arms. Brooke kissed the baby's forehead, "Was she okay?"

"Yeah, she was fine…I'm gonna go back to bed, but if you want to bring her back in my room so you two can get back to it, then that's fine" Chae said winking at Brooke before leaving the room.

"God she's annoying" Brooke groaned, walking back towards the bed and sitting down on it with Averie. Lucas stood from the bed and walked over to Averie's crib, reaching in for a flowered blanket and then handing it to Brooke. "Thanks" she said appreciatively as she covered herself so she could feed the baby.

Lucas hesitated for a minute and then stepped towards Brooke. He rested a hand on Averie's back and leaned down; catching Brooke by surprise as he softly kissed her lips. "Call me in the morning?" he questioned as he started to walk towards the door.

"Are you leaving?" Brooke asked, scrunching up her face.

"Well I was-"

"Stay" Brooke demanded, cutting him off. "Will you stay?" This time her voice sounded unsure, and it made him think of the Brooke from the pictures.

Lucas walked back towards her, climbing onto the bed next to her. "Of course I'll stay" he said simply, actually excited that she had asked him to. They sat together and talked about Averie as Brooke fed her.

After the baby finished eating Lucas offered to burp her. He left the room with Averie and bounced and rocked her until she fell asleep. She was pretty fussy and wasn't burping and it took him a while to finally calm her down. Once she was finally asleep he walked back into Brooke's room and carefully carried her towards her crib. He kissed her head and gently laid her down in her crib, covering the baby with her favorite pink blanket. He turned back towards Brooke, and smiled as he saw that she had already fallen asleep.

Lucas picked up the photo album and Brooke's book of sketches and took them back into her closet. He wasn't sure where she kept the books, but he found a spot for them on the top shelf. As he pushed the books onto the shelf, something fell onto the ground. He bent over and looked under the dresses that were hanging in the closet. He reached down and found what had fallen…a purple monkey. He picked it up and smiled, immediately recognizing the monkey. It was in the picture of Brooke with her parents from when she was born. It looked the same which was surprising since Brooke had kept it all of these years. He would've expected it to be a little more ragged, but she had obviously taken good care of it. Lucas walked out of the closet and towards Averie's crib. He placed the purple monkey in the crib and smiled down at his sleeping baby.

"Lucas" Brooke said sleepily, her voice raspy as she slowly opened her eyes. He turned around to face her and he smiled watching her eyes flutter shut as she spoke again, "Come lay with me."

Lucas nodded and then turned back towards the crib, smiling at his perfect sleeping daughter. He walked towards the bed and noticed Brooke had already closed her eyes again. He kicked his shoes off and took off his pants and shirt, deciding to sleep in his boxers. He lifted the blankets and climbed into the bed, wrapping his arms around Brooke and pulling her towards him.

She smiled in her sleep, resting her hands and face on his bare chest. "It feels good to have you hold me" She told him, her eyes closed and her voice consumed in sleep, making it barely audible.

Lucas smiled, moving a piece of hair from her face, "It feels good to hold you" he whispered as she snuggled her face into his chest until she was comfortable. When she didn't respond, he knew she was asleep. "I love you…Goodnight, Pretty Girl," He whispered before leaning down and gently kissing her forehead and then closing his eyes as well.


A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! I just want to say sorry once again for taking so long! But updates should start to be more regular again now! Just so you know, I am planning to start jumping ahead so we can move the story along. I am planning to move forward in chapter 30, but I will make sure to let you know how far I have jumped and what happened in between the times...I hope thats okay...if you have any questions feel free to PM me and I will answer them! Personal thank you's are back! I really missed writing them last time believe it or not! Thanks for being so patient with me, you guys really are awesome! Also, I know that when I write thank yous it might make the chapter seem shorter, but really i just have a lot of awesome reviewers so it takes a lot of space...and this chapter was actually longer than normal! Also, if you guys like to read Naley stories, you should really check out one on this site called 'A Life To Hope For'...I usually don't read Naley stories, but I do like this one. Another story you might want to check out is a new one called 'Beautiful Disaster' its a Brucas story and I am helping edit it and stuff...it's different from a lot of the stories on here, and should be really good! I hope I wrote everyone thank you's that reviewed...it was pretty late when I wrote them. If I missed you then thank you!! XOXOXLindsay

Thank You's

dolcegrazia- You are the first reviewer again! Way to go! I think you are probable the first to review most times haha. I'm glad you are liking the Keith/Karen/Lily! I decided to make Lily more of my own J thank you for your reviews! I always look forward to them!

Sydney (LoVeBrucas)- Wow Syd, way to go being the second to review! That's pretty good for you, isn't it? Hahaa I thought so. That's pretty exciting that you are so in love with this story, but that is a pretty big commitment wouldn't you say? Don't tell the nuns hahaha. I'm glad that you liked all the Keith/Karen/Lily scenes! And I'm also excited that you liked the 'ucas to my brucas' part hahaha…I loved that part too, I was pretty excited for it! Don't worry Jake/Chae will be coming up! I miss them too, but you are right, Brucas is just amazing! They like over power everything! Anyways, I love your reviews and I love you! Seriously thank you for the amazing reviews! Also thank you for helping me out :D you are the best! Oh and you seriously need to lay off the drugs - energy drinks...i'm not buyin it - I'm seriously gonna send you to rehab hahaha.

onetreehillgirl066- hahah yeah, you were the first reviewer last time, but that's pretty cool that you got it even though you weren't trying for it! Yay for Brucas being together! I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you liked this one just as much! Thanks for always reviewing!!

bella- I'm glad you liked the meeting that Brooke had with Karen and Lily! I'm happy you liked the family dinner too! I hope you liked this chapter as well! Thanks for always reviewing!!

reina123- Thank you for the review, they are always so sweet! I'm glad that you liked all of the Karen/Keith/Lily all liking Brooke and Averie parts! I hope you liked this chapter as well! Thanks for always reviewing!

OTHbrucas4ever- hahaha of course they love Brooke! Who wouldn't love Brooke? Thanks for your review! I hope you liked this chapter!

sweetchristie03- I'm glad that you thought the ending was okay, that is good to hear cuz I was a little nervous about it! I'm glad you liked all of the family together and that you liked Lily…she's so cute isn't she! Hahaa. Thanks for reviewing, I always love to read them!

onetreefan- I'm glad that you are loving the story! I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

whiters- I finally get to thank you personally for reviewing! I'm so excited to have you reading and reviewing, it like makes my day! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story a lot! That makes me so happy! I'm glad that you liked how everyone reacted to Brooke and Averie too! And you are right…who wouldn't love Brooke? Thank you so much for your review, it was really just perfect and I look forward to hearing from you again J

broodyprettygirl- I'm glad you liked the chapter! And I never get sick of Brucas sweetness either!! Brucas and a Brucas baby is just like perfect haha. You can never go wrong with a Brucas family!! I hope you liked the Brucas date! Thanks so much for reviewing!

erika- I'm glad you liked Lily and all of her silly little comments in the last chapter! Haha, I love her too…she's just so cute! You are so right, Brooke just fits in perfectly with the whole family! Brucas is just meant to be, there is no denying it! Haha. I'm glad you liked the 'ucas to my brucas' comment…I loved it too hehehe! Chae really should be on the show! She could totally replace peyton, and it'd be cool cuz she's actually on team Brucas and always a good friend to Brooke! Haha. I always picture Chae as like Rachel Bilson! She is a lot like Brooke! Hahaha, I always love your long rambling reviews, they are totally entertaining and that's a good thing! I love all kinds of music, my favorite song like changes by the minute hahaha. I really am like obsessed with the Beatles though J anyways, thanks for always reviewing! I totally love them!!

MarianaTeresia- I'm so glad you loved the last chapter! I hope you liked this one too J thanks for reviewing!!

IamCaroline- I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Hahah, I'm excited you love Lily and her funny comments haha. She's so cute! I love it when Brooke and Karen get along, I always picture them like in season one when Karen like loves Brooke and like shows her her scrapbooks and stuff haha. They are just cute! Yaaay for Brucas! I'm glad you couldn't stop smiling! That is totally a good thing! Thanks for always reviewing, I love reading them and always look forward to them!!

Jem (flipflopgal)- hahaha I'm glad you loved the chapter! Your review totally made me laugh! I'm glad you liked everything from Lily to Keith to how everyone fell in love with Averie! Haha. Thanks for reviewing, I love them!! I hope you liked this chapter too!

Jen (courtneylovejason)- It's my favorite spazzy bossy reviewer friend hahaha. Should I totally ruin this chapter for you since I know you are reading this first?? Hmmm…..I guess I won't, just because I am like super-duper nice though….hey, don't laugh…I am super-duper nice! Hahaha. Anyways, I love your review, its like your whole crazy thought process all typed up and then sent to me! Haha. Its like my favorite! I would comment on all of your comments, but it would take way too long! So I'll just say thank you! Oh and I can't wait to hear all about the basketball game J

SarahF- I am excited to have you reviewing! It's okay that it took you awhile, since you are reviewing now its all good! I'm glad you have stuck by the story since the beginning though, that is really awesome! I'm so glad that you love the story and like the pace that it is moving…that is really good to hear! Geez, can I just say I absolutely loved your whole review…like I really just want to comment on everything you wrote! Thank you for such a nice review! I really loved it, and I look forward to hearing from you again. Thank you, this review was totally needed…everything you wrote was just so nice and I don't know, great? Haha. Thanks though, really!! I hope you liked this chapter!!

lilohb- I'm glad that you like that they are a cute happy family! Brucas families are the best, aren't they?? You really can't go wrong with a Brucas family! Hheehheeh. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!!

chasitybsp- I'm glad you thought the chapter was still great even though they didn't get their freak on hahaha…that totally made me laugh! I'm glad you liked the Lily parts, she's so cute and fun to write! Hahaha and you are so right, Brucas and Averie are the cutest family ever! I'm glad you liked the 'ucas to my brucas' part haha…that was probably my favorite part of the whole chapter! I really do love to write thank you's to you guys, you deserve it! It does take a lot of time, but its worth it! And I usually have something to respond to in your reviews so this gives me the chance! Anyways, thanks for always reviewing, I always look out for them! I hope you liked the Brucas date!

chebelle- Thank you, I am really excited with all of the responses I am getting to this story, I didn't expect it at all, so its really exciting! And it's all thanks to you guys! Anyways… I'm so glad that the last chapter had you smiling lots! That is so what I'm hoping for when I'm writing….so my mission was definitely accomplished!! And we really do need all the Brucas cuteness that we can get! I'm glad you liked the family meeting Brooke, and I'm glad that you liked that Karen was nice. I always love Karen/Brooke moments too…so I'm glad you liked it as well! Since this story is like a drug to you…then I have to give you your fix…it's only fair! Sorry I left you hanging for so long in between this update and the last….I really will try my hardest not to let it happen again :D I totally love your reviews, and I always look forward to them so thank you! I hope you like this chapter!!

austingirl76- I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I am also happy that you are glad they are taking their time…obviously they wouldn't want to rush things after what happened the first time around….I'm glad you understand that J Yay for them being a big happy family! Thank you for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!!

CheeryGirl- Aww, thank you for your review! I'm glad that you love this story, and I can't believe its one of the best ones you've read….that really is awesome and such a huge compliment so thank you very much J Thanks so much for reviewing! I really loved it! I hope you liked this chapter!

sanasa- Thanks for reviewing! And don't worry, that will come with time!

brucas333- hahah I totally punk'd you…you were totally expecting a sex scene! I figured you would…but hey, there is a baby in the room! Hahaa. I'm glad you liked the chapter though anyways! Haha. I love Brucas too! Thanks for always reviewing! I love them!

Brucas3Naley23- I'm glad that you are happy that Keith and Karen love Brooke! It would be pretty hard for them not to love her J hahaha I'm glad you liked all of the little Lily parts, I loved them too! I hope you like the Brucas date! Thank you so much for reviewing! I loved reading it!!

Amy (brucas2008)- Hey friend! I'm glad that you liked the way everyone reacted to Brooke and Averie. I just want to say thank you for your review, it was something I really needed to hear…I'm glad that you think that I am writing the characters well, I always worry about that, so its good to know that I am keeping them believable and true to the show. Thanks so much for the review! I hope you liked the Brucas date!!

Katherine- I always write your thank you last, just because it is the hardest one to write lol. I think it's the hardest just because your reviews are always so amazing, and I just want to comment on everything you say! I seriously read your reviews over and over and they like give me inspiration while I'm writing, that's how much I love them haha. I'm so glad that you loved the last chapter! I'm sorry you are feeling sick…even though you are probably feeling better now…or at least I hope you are! I am really excited that you think this story is getting better and better, because that's all I want for it really. Yaaay for falling in love with Brucas over again, that's what we need since the show sucks so bad lately…well for like 2 seasons now haha. I'm glad that you liked all the beginning and Brooke meeting Lucas' family. I'm also glad you noticed the part where lucas was feeling sick because he realized he didn't know about brooke's clothes. That was a big part, so I'm glad you noticed it, but of course you did, cuz you are amazing! I seriously love your reviews, like you have no idea! I value your opinion a lot, and I always like can't wait to see what you thought about the chapters! I will be impatiently awaiting your review ;) Seriously Katherine, thank you so much J

Katie (BrOoKe DaViS23)- Hey buddy! BIF! Hahaha. Thanks for just loving this story! You are awesome….but I gotta say, I love our story time probably just as much as you love this story! Haha. I'm glad you were happy that luke's family liked Brooke and Averie! And Lily is just so cute isn't she! Haha. I hope you liked this chapter, and we will be talking soon I'm sure! Love you!

BRUCAS EQUALS LOVE- Simply amazing…that was very sweet of you to use those words to describe that chapter! That really was very nice of you, I was happy to read that J I'm glad you were happy that Lukes parents liked Brooke! How could anyone not like her! I hope you liked the Brucas date, and thank you so much for reviewing! I loved reading it!

carebearxo8- Aww I'm glad you loved the chapter! Yay for them being one big happy family! I'm glad you liked the whole Lily/Brooke parts haha. I think Lily really would totally love brooke on the show too if she had the chance lol. It's good to hear that you miss Chae, that's pretty neat considering that she isn't a real character on the show. It's pretty exciting though cuz a lot of you have been missing her! Its awesome! Don't worry though, she will be in the next chapter more! Thanks for your review! I loved it! I hope you liked this chapter!!

TutorGrrl- I'm glad you liked the chapter and how I wrote Lily! I kind of just turned her into my own, she's fun to write! I'm glad that you liked how I wrote Karen, I wanted to keep her true to how she is in the show and you are right, she isn't a monster, she's actually very caring and understanding so I wanted to stay true to that! Thank you so much for your review! I really loved it! I hope you liked this chapter!!

brucas224- I'm glad you loved the brucas! I will try to add more of the other characters in the next chapter :) thanks for reviewing!!

Cass (CheerandBrood323)- Heeeey!! Was that really your favorite chapter so far? wow! thats pretty great! And being the 600th reviewer is pretty cool too! haha. I hope your break was good! And new songs are always exciting, you know if you make a new one then you have to send it to me :) heheheh. I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for always reviewing! love you!!

Natalie (iluvmedou)- I'm so glad you loved the chapter! I especially like it when it attaches a permanent smile onto your face! haha. Thanks for reviewing!!

queen08- I'm so glad that you loved the chapters! Thats okay that you are behind with reviewing, by reviewing now you are making up for it :) I'm glad that you have been reading! Thank you so much for your review, I try to update fast...sorry it took so long this time!

brokenhearted4ever- hahaha I'm glad you liked the ending. I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

There was also one anonymous reviewer that forgot to put their name…so I'm not sure who it was! But you will probably know its you if you reviewed but didn't see your thank you. But the review was great none-the-less so THANK YOU!!