Chapter 38

It was strange to think that seven years after she left this place, she was moving back in. But despite the fact that Brooke hadn't had the best upbringing, her house had been a haven for her. It held more memories than she could count and to be moving back in was a strange but wonderful thing. She would be raising her own family in the place she grew up and there was really no other house she'd rather do that in.

As she looked around the living room, now full of their furniture and unpacked boxes, she knew that this was their home now. This was the place where she, Lucas, Lizzie and any other children they might bring into the world would live. And it was perfect.

The house had changed over the years, but Brooke thought it was for the better. It had been updated with sleek cherry hardwood floors and the kitchen had been completely remodeled. All of the walls had been freshly painted and the people who had rented the house out had added a hot tub outside, along with the still in good shape pool and new porch.

She and Lucas had chosen Brooke's old room to be Lizzie's room and Lucas had already started painting and filling it up with the seemingly endless amount of baby clothes, toys, and other items given to them at the baby shower Karen had thrown for Brooke a week ago. They'd only been living here two days now, but the house was already theirs in full and Brooke couldn't have been happier.

She had, however, had enough of the unpacking. There were still so many things to unpack and Brooke was ready to just rest. She practically threw herself onto the couch, flinging her legs up and sighing in contentment. Her belly blocked all views of her lower body, especially from this position, but she knew her feet were swollen like crazy and it was about time she got off of them and rested properly.

"Luke!" she lazily called, irritation growing in her as she realized that she really was much too thirsty and, now that she was lying on the couch there was no way she would be getting up anytime soon.

She heard the loud stomping of his feet as he raced down the stairs and smiled in amusement. Lucas had been on edge lately, especially now that she had a little bit more than three weeks to go until the baby came. Lucas suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs and made his way through the piles of boxes quickly, leaning down beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm just thirsty. Wanna get me some water?"

He smiled, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Of course I would, Pretty Girl."

He disappeared into the kitchen only to return a few moments later with a big cup of water in his hands. She thanked him as he handed it to her and then sat up slightly, leaning her back against the arm of the couch and taking a sip. She patted the spot next to her and moved her legs up as he took a seat before resting them on Lucas' lap. She was practically in heaven as his hands gently massaged her feet.

"How's everything going up there?" she asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Good. I've got all four walls painted and now I've just got to get the trim. Nathan's going to be over in a few minutes to help me finish it up. You should come up and see it."

She grimaced. "Yeah, I don't see myself getting off this couch anytime soon, sorry. But I'll look at it later."

He chuckled and turned to look outside, were Nathan and Haley had just exited there car and were now making their way up the walk.

"Looks like I've got to get back to work," he said. "But at least you've got Haley to keep you company."

Lucas got up, going over to the front door and welcoming them both inside. Nathan smirked as he looked over at Brooke.

"You're not helping out today?" he said teasingly. "I should have known you'd make us men do all the work."

Brooke cocked an eyebrow. "Ha ha, very funny, Nate. Now go do your work. I'm not paying you to stand around you know."

Nathan laughed and followed Lucas up the stairs. "Like you're even paying me!" he called back.

Haley just rolled her eyes, making her way over to Brooke. "Don't I have the most charming husband?"

"You sure do," Brooke said, chuckling lightly. "So where's Jamie?"

"He's spending the day with Skills and Deb."

"Hmm…You know, even after all these months, I still think Skills and Deb are a very strange couple."

Haley sat down next to Brooke, an amused smile on her lips. "Yup, I agree. Imagine how Nathan feels."

Brooke nodded slowly. "I know… It'd be like my dad dating Peyton." They both visibly shuddered at the thought. "Okay, moving on to a less disturbing topic."

"Good," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, I really haven't seen that much of him, especially since this deal with the house went so fast, but from the little time we have spent together, it's been great. It's almost like he's a different guy now— a much better guy. And he just seems to genuinely care about me, you know? Actually, he seems pretty excited about becoming a grandfather too, so you never know how that will work out…"

"Well that's good. At least you've got one decent parent, right?"

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, I guess I do. So, what's going on with you?" She motioned to Haley's slightly swollen stomach and smiled. "You're looking pretty great."

"Thanks," Haley said, smiling down as she placed a hand on her belly. "I feel great. But then again, I'm still in the beginning stages. The last few months are always the toughest. You must be tired, huh? Especially after all this moving you've had to do."

Brooke rubbed her belly absently. "Yeah, I'm exhausted. I just can't wait for her to come out, you know? I mean, pregnancy's been fun, but I'm kind of sick of it now."

Haley chuckled. "I know what you mean; I was like that with Jamie. But it's worth it in the end."

Brooke smiled, thinking of the baby that would soon be joining them and of all that it took for her and Lucas to get to the point that they were at now.

"Yeah, it is."

"Dude, we're out of paint."

Lucas looked up from his position on the floor and sighed in annoyance. He'd been hoping to finish the painting tonight so that he could move on to the setting up everything else tomorrow, but at the rate they were going, especially with his brother's procrastination, that really didn't seem likely.

"Are you sure?"

Nathan nodded, holding up the paint container and flipping it upside down to prove his point. "Yup."

Lucas sighed again, standing back up and running a hand through his hair. "Alright, let's go get some more."

They made their way downstairs where Haley and Brooke were still sitting on the couch talking.

"We've got to go get some more paint," Lucas said, throwing his coat on.

"Do you think you can drop me off on the way?" Haley asked. "Deb should be dropping Jamie off at the house in about a half hour so I should probably head home."

Lucas nodded. "Sure."

Not wanting to waste any time, Lucas quickly pushed them all outside and soon, after dropping Haley off, they were at the hardware store. It didn't take long for Lucas to find everything he needed but, just as he was about to head to the checkout, Nathan pulled him aside.

"What?" Lucas asked curiously.

Nathan's eyes were narrowed as he stealthily nodded at something behind Lucas.

"Owen's here."

Lucas turned quickly, immediately noticing the familiar bartender standing a few feet away. The quick glance told Lucas that Owen had seen them too. It was obviously too late for Lucas to try to ignore him since Owen was headed their way, a determined look on his face.

"Hey, Nate, Lucas," Owen said, smiling as he reached them both. "I thought I saw you earlier."

Lucas looked awkwardly down at the cans of paint he was holding.

"It's good to see you, man," Nathan said, smiling lightly.

"Yeah, you too. The guys on the team are missing you like crazy. Slamball just isn't the same without you."

Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure."

It may have been petty, but Lucas was annoyed that Owen had seemed to find a way into not only Brooke's life, but Nathan's as well. It was as if he was trying to steal Lucas' life away from him. He knew it was ridiculous and obviously Owen was not trying to do that, but ever since Owen and Brooke's reconciliation he had found it very hard to tolerate Owen's friendliness towards Brooke and just about anyone else he was close to.

"So, uh, Lucas…" Owen turned to look at him and he finally glanced back at him, a tight smile on his lips. "I'm actually glad I ran into you because I've been meaning to ask you something."

Sensing that Owen wanted to make this conversation private, Nathan quickly took the paint from Lucas and said that he'd go pay for them. Now, as he and Owen both stood together in the middle of the otherwise empty aisle, he looked at Owen curiously.

"What do you need?" Lucas asked as politely as he could.

Owen sighed. "Look, I know that you don't like me but I—."

Lucas felt the need to cut him off right there. "Where'd you get that idea?"

Owen raised an eyebrow. "It's pretty obvious, Lucas. That night a couple of weeks ago when you came home and I was there you looked pretty damn angry."

"That wasn't just because of you," Lucas defended. "I'd had a bad night and I took out my frustration on you."

"Okay, fine. But how about the other day when I helped you move? You barely said two words to me and when you did you weren't too friendly."

Lucas sighed, stuffing his hand in his pockets and trying to hide his annoyance. "Look, maybe you're right. Maybe I don't like you that much. But don't you think you wouldn't like me if our roles were reversed?"

"Maybe, but you don't have anything to worry about," Owen said, his eyes serious. "I'm not gonna try anything with Brooke."

Lucas nodded slowly, knowing that Owen wouldn't likely lie about something like this. As annoying as Lucas found him, Owen truly wasn't that bad of a guy. But still, he felt the need to ask him something.

"Owen," he said, his tone softer and friendlier, "I need to know something and I'd appreciate it if you answered honestly. And I promise I won't throw something at you no matter the answer."

Owen looked hesitant, but eventually nodded. "Okay…"

"Do you still have feeling for Brooke?"

If the question caught Owen off guard he wasn't acting like it. Instead he just raked a hand through his hair, his eyes somber. Lucas knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Owen himself.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't."

Lucas nodded slowly, a light small covering his lips. "I think that pretty much answers why I'm not too fond of you right now."

Owen smiled too and for some reason, despite Owen's answer, the mood lightened. "Listen, I'm sorting through everything I'm feeling for her and I'm trying to get rid of it. But it takes time and it's just not something that I can turn on and off, you know?"

"I know and I don't expect you to not be friends with her. She's a great girl."

"Yeah, she is. If it makes you feel any better, there's really no chance in hell for me. Really, the way she talks about you when I'm with her…" He grimaced. "It's nauseating."

Lucas cracked a grin. "Too bad for you, huh?"

Owen just laughed. "Yeah, it really does suck. But I'm getting used to it."

"Hey, uh…" They both turned around to see Nathan approaching with the bags of paint, a hesitant smile on his face as he looked at the two of them. He turned to Lucas. "You ready to go?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I think so. He smiled again at Owen. "It was good talking to you, Owen."

Owen smiled and turned to leave. "Yeah, you too. I guess I'll see you both around."

Lucas and Nathan watched him disappear into the next aisle before heading outside.

"What was that about?" Nathan asked as they got into Lucas' car.

"I don't really know," he answered, rethinking the conversation. "I guess Owen just wanted to make his intentions about Brooke clear."

"And I'm guessing his intentions are obviously pure since you didn't get into a brawl."

Lucas chuckled softly. "He promised he won't intervene with us. He really just wants to be her friend."

"Well, that's good. See I told you he wasn't that bad."

Lucas nodded slowly, his eyes on the road. Suddenly he didn't feel the desire to paint anymore. Now he just wanted to spend a peaceful night with his fiancée.

"Nate, I'm thinking that we can pick up with the painting tomorrow so I'll just drop you off at your place. Is that okay with you?"

Nathan just laughed. "You don't even have to ask."

A short while after they all left, Brooke was now settling comfortably back onto the couch, her eyes drooping as she tried to keep them on the TV screen. She hadn't really accomplished much today, but then again besides the remaining boxes that needed to be unpacked and of course the nursery, there was little she could do.

So now she was in the mood to relax— hopefully with Lucas. He'd been going nonstop the last few days and she really hoped that after he and Nathan returned they wouldn't spend much more time painting. She was really starting to feel like she was being deprived of her Lucas time.

A knock on the door woke her from her impending sleep and she tiredly sat up, groaning as she stretched her legs. Pushing herself up from the couch, she slowly walked to the front door, looking through the peephole to see who was there.

She was definitely surprised at who she saw.

"Dad," she said, opening the door, "what are you doing here?"

As far as she knew, her dad had left town over a week ago, so she really wasn't expecting to see him here right now. Her father stood there with a small smile on his face, completely contradicting the usual frown he used to wear when she was younger. It was definitely a sight Brooke was still getting used to.

"I had a few last minute details I had to finish with the realtor," he explained. "I came in early this morning and I'm leaving in about three hours. I just thought I'd stop by and see how the moving was going."

Still getting over the shock of his appearance, it took her a few seconds to answer. "Oh, um…it's going great, actually. We've just got a few more things to unpack. Do you want to come in and see the place?"

Richard nodded. "I would love to."

She led him inside, feeling a bit awkward as she showed him around the house. The tour was over quickly and soon they were back in the hallway, an uncomfortable silence taking over.

Her father looked around and she tried to think of what to say. She'd never exactly been completely comfortable in her father's presence, mostly because he'd always been so distant and closed off. She couldn't even remember a time when she and her father had sat down and really talked. Now that she really thought about it, she and her father had always sort of ignored each other. That thought now didn't make her particularily happy. In fact, standing in front of the much happier looking man right now, she wished more than anything that she could go back and change things—that she would have made an effort to try to talk to him.

But they had now and she knew that this was a good second chance.

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked, feeling a new spark of energy surge through her.

Richard's smile widened and he nodded, following her over to the couch and sitting down with her.

"It's been really great to have you here these past few weeks," she said quietly.

"I've actually really enjoyed being here," he said, leaning back on the couch. "My only regret is that I spent too much time working on the deal with the house than with you."

Her father never ceased to surprise her these days. "Really?"

He nodded. "Business always seemed to come first when it came to my family. That in turn is the biggest regret of my life. You know, your mother and I didn't always hate each other. There was a time when we both couldn't imagine life without each other."

Brooke looked at him thoughtfully. "Was Victoria… mom, I mean...always such a…" She wasn't sure how to finish the question without sounding disrespectful.

"I believe the word you young people would use to describe her is 'bitch'."

Brooke kinked an eyebrow, laughing lightly. "Yeah, that'd be the word."

Her father chuckled, his eyes dropping to look at his hands. "No, Victoria wasn't always that way. What happened was that, after we had you, she was sort of forced to put her life on hold. She had dreams, dreams that she wasn't able to accomplish because she was busy being a mother. And I don't think she minded at first, but as the years went by I think she grew to resent the fact that she couldn't do all that she had dreamed of doing and I think she grew to resent me because I had chosen to ignore my family and continue on with my own plans. It was a selfish decision on my part and ultimately it was the downfall of our family."

She'd never really understood why her parents had been the way they were, especially her mother, and so to hear her father explain all this made her surprisingly sympathetic to the both of them.

"Brooke," Richard said, and her attention turned to him once again, "is this the life that you truly want?"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"

Richard looked straight at her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're happy, Brooke, and I truly believe that. You're starting a family and to me, it seems as if this is you are meant to do. But I have to ask if this life—motherhood and normality—is this what you really want out of your life? Or are there still other things that you wish to accomplish?"

She looked down at her swollen stomach, resting both her hands on it, and she knew that this was what she wanted. It might be hard for her father to understand, but she knew that he had her best interests in mind. He just didn't want her to go through what he and Victoria went through and she understood that.

"This is what I want, Dad," she said confidently. "This is what I came home for. I've lived the dream with Clothes Over Bros and it did make me happy at first but it was never enough. I knew that what I really wanted was to be a mom and now that I'm finally getting to be one, there's no doubt in my mind that I'd rather be doing anything else."

He smiled widely. "Good. I was pretty sure you felt that way, but I just wanted to hear it from you." His face turned more serious. "I want you to know that, even though it may appear so, your mother and I do not regret or resent you in any sort of way. Yes, we were fairly young when we had you, but we did want you. The problem was that we didn't make you the priority in our lives and, like I said, that was our downfall."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you…it means a lot to hear you say that. And thank you for coming here and explaining all this. I never really understood, but I do now…"

He took her hand. "Thank you for welcoming me back with such open arms. I don't deserve it. But I really do hope that you and I can start fresh."

She smiled. "I'd love that. Besides, this kid needs one decent grandpa in her life."

Richard chuckled lightly. "You know, Victoria is absolutely convinced that she is way too young to have the title of grandma. She thinks it's ridiculous. I, on the other hand, can't wait and I'm incredibly grateful that you'll let me be apart of your daughter's life. I only hope that I can be a better grandfather than I was a father."

She squeezed her father's hand. "You're doing a pretty good job right now, Dad."

He looked at her with a sad smile and took deep breath. "Thank you, Brooke…you don't know how much that means to hear you say that."

By the time Lucas returned, her father had left. She was surprised to see that his brother wasn't with him when he walked through the door with the bags of paint.

"Hey," she called from the couch, "where's Nathan?"

He smiled at the sight of her, setting his stuff down and walking over to her. She tugged at his hand, pulling him down onto the couch with her.

"I sent him home for the night," he said, situating himself behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "I thought it was about time I spent some time with my girl."

She smiled, closing her eyes as his hands roamed soothingly up and down her belly. "Mmm, good thinking…" His lips moved the side of her face before nibbling gently on her ear and she moaned in pleasure.

"So," he said softly, resting his head back again, "I ran into Owen at the store."

She looked up at him in surprise. "How'd that go?"

"It went good. I think I trust him a little more now."

"Well it looks like you and I both had an interesting time while you were gone—my dad showed up a few minutes after you left."

His eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "I thought he left."

"He had a few things to finish up with here apparently. He's headed to the airport now."

Lucas nodded slowly. "How'd it go?"

"It went really well, actually." She told him what her father had said, Lucas listening intently and without interruption all the while. "I think I can kind of understand why they turned out the way they did," she finished.

By now they were sitting up again, with her back against the arm of the couch and Lucas draping his arms along the back of it.

"It's great that your dad wants to be involved in your life again. Now I think I know where your great heart comes from."

She smiled, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his. "Never in a million years did I think I'd ever see my dad the way he is now. It's kind of amazing."

"It is," he agreed.

He bent forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips, moving his free hand back to her belly. She let her body relax again, closing her eyes and resting her hand over Lucas'. A few minutes later she felt Lucas pull her back into her arms and it was only then that she finally succumbed to sleep.

A/N: As you might have guessed, this was pretty much a filler chapter. Next chapter is when things will start getting much more interesting. There's actually only about five chapters left now, so we're really getting close to the end.

Thanks so much for reading and please remember to review!