a/n: I had this chapter written but I erased it all. I 'm sorry because I know you guys were all expecting the dinner party but I wasn't feeling it…. so this is a filler that I wrote in two hours. I woke gooseless up and read it to her and she loved it so I guess it's good…I'm sure there will be tons of questions… now I'm just going to say three things. One Glamma will be having another dinner party soon and I promise to write it. Two before you all flip out remember this story is not finishing anytime soon… so be patient it will come and three we all have ghosts in out past… why can't Luke

Enjoy…. Review, review, review… oh and one small spoiler… next chapter is Christmas day and after that the gala….

Chapter 49

The Ghost of Christmas Past.

Flashbacks in italics…

Noche Buena 2003, Madrid, Spain………

Lucas was sitting in front of his desk working on his latest story, it was Christmas Eve and it was late. His deadline was two weeks away but he didn't care he had nothing else to do. He walked over to the window and looked outside. The view was of the main square of town. He watched as people roamed the streets, bringing gifts of fruit and candies to the "Naciminetos", the traditional nativity scenes that all Spaniards had in their homes. It was 11:30 and he knew that at midnight he would hear bells ring throughout the square, it was the traditional way that Spaniards would signal the birth of Christ. Families would gather together at the table and they would feast on foods that the women had spend days preparing. They would drink, and sing traditional Christmas songs all night long. He smiled as he watched a few snowflakes fall from the sky. Unlike the United States, there were no snowstorms in Spain. Snowflakes would fall but the snow would never stick to the ground. There were no snow banks, black slush, and icy patches. The whole scene reminded him of a snow globe, the ones that when you flip them over white snow would start blow inside it. His head turned towards the door when he heard the lock turn. He started to laugh when he saw her at the door surrounded by bags.

""What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Barcelona?"

"Amor mio, aren't you happy to see me?"

Lucas smiled. "Of course I just thought…"

The brunette walked over to him and gave him a passionate kiss. "Well the last thing I wanted to do was spend another boring Noche Buena with my family, especially my brother and his wife. You know I can't stand her. So this morning I told my parents that I was going to visit friends in Madrid. They had no objections, so I wished them Feliz Noche Buena and they are now in Barcelona and here I am. I have tons of goodies, turron, Pavo, beer, wine, and chocolate. We have three whole days and I have big plans querido so what do you say, do you want to spend the next three days naked, making love in bed, because if you don't I can always leave."

Lucas pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her neck. She moaned. "I'm so glad you're here." He said to her in a husky voice.

"Me too amor. Think about it three whole days, alone." She answered as he started to unzip her dress.

"What are you wearing under this Briella?"

She started to laugh…."Nada." she answered in her native tongue, with a sinister look on her face. "Just the way you like it. Why don't you get the bags and put everything in La cocina and then meet me in the bedroom. Don't peek in the brown bag those gifts are for tomorrow. You Americans open you're gifts in the morning, verda?" she asked.

He ignored her question and started to kiss her neck again. He knew what she liked, what to turn her on. "I just want to open you up. Tell me this isn't a dream? You're really here and you're not leaving."

She ran her hand through his hair. "Amor I'm yours for three whole days. Now hurry up and bring the bags in. I'll meet you in the bedroom."

He ignored her and peeled her dress off. Just like she had said she wore nothing under it. He watched as she touched her breast. "Do you want me?" she asked him in a husky voice.

He moaned as she put two fingers inside her. She was teasing him, driving him mad with desire. She knew just which buttons to push. She knew how to drive him insane.

"You know I do…." He went to grab her arm, but she walked away.

"The bags first then me… hurry up or you'll miss the show." She winked at him and walked to his bedroom leaving him alone in the living room. He licked his lips and went over to the door to bring in her bags. The show, he knew exactly what she was talking about. It was her way of teasing him, of bringing him to the brink of desire. She would touch herself slowly. He would stand in front of her and watch her as she pleasure herself. Her face as she came, the way she screamed his name. Then when she was finished, she would stand up and peel off all his clothes. She would get on her knees and begin to pleasure him in a way that only she knew how… He put the bags in the kitchen and ran to his bedroom. It was empty. "Gabriella." He called out. There was no answer. "Gabriella." He shouted again and there was still no answer. He opened the closet door but it was empty. He ran to the living room but she wasn't there. "GABRIELLA." He shouted again.

"Lucas, Lucas. It's just a dream. Come one wake up it's just a dream. Luke."

Brooke nudged Lucas gently. It was Christmas morning. Brooke had been awake thinking, in her bed when she had heard a scream. It had come from the connecting room next to hers. She knew it was Lucas. Without thinking twice she ran over to him. He was asleep, shouting.

"Luke, please wake up. You're going to wake up Drew. Luke."

He finally woke up and looked around in confusion. "Where am I?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"At my house." Brooke answered as she poured him a glass of water from the carfare that was on the nightstand. "You were having a nightmare."

She handed him the glass and he drank the contents of it.

"Are you okay?" she asked him obviously concern.

"I'm fine it was just a bad dream. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to bed."

"It's fine. I'm not tried; it's 2:00 am. Do you want to talk about?"

"NO!" he answered in a harsh voice.

"Sorry." Brooke whispered. She got up and walked back to her bedroom. He was mad and she knew it. Something was bothering him but it was obvious that he didn't want her to know what it was. As she laid down in her bed she wondered what he had been dreaming about. Whatever it was it was something bad. He had been covered in a cold sweat when she had walked in, screaming something that she hadn't been able to make out. Whatever it was he didn't want her to know.

"Brooke."

She looked up, Lucas was standing in her doorway. "Hey ."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be short with you. I had a bad dream."

"I figure that much. Hey you look pale. Lucas you're scaring me what's going on?"

"Nothing Princess, let just say I was dreaming of something I don't want to ever remember. Don't look so concern it was just a dream."

Brooke was about to say something but she was interrupted by a baby's cry. She smiled at Lucas and said. "Drew's up."

"Stay in bed I'll get him."

A minute later Lucas was back with a sleepy Drew in his arms. Brooke reached up and took him from him.

"Buddy its way too early for you to be up."

The baby put his head on Brooke's chest and fell back to sleep. Lucas smiled as he watched Drew.

"Well I guess he's happy. Here let me take him."

"No. It's fine."

Neither of them said another word. Brooke was in her bed with Drew on her chest, while Lucas watched them in the doorway. Brooke looked at him and saw that he was still pale and he was shivering. He wasn't wearing much, just a wife beater and boxer shorts. Then she realized that she wasn't wearing anything but a flimsy nightgown. But it wasn't cold in her room. The thermostat was at 90. Brooke had made the bedroom hot for the baby.

"Luke you're freezing. Hey come here. Lay down." She asked him as she patted the empty side next to her bed.

Luke didn't move. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. The dream had shaken him up. It wasn't the first time that he had dreamt of her. But this time it had been more than a dream it had been a memory. A memory that had been so vivid, so real, like he had been transported back in time. He knew that the wise thing to do was to go back to his room, but he was afraid. Afraid of falling asleep and of dreaming about her again. He wasn't sure if he could handle it. Without thinking about it he crawled into Brooke's bed. She gently laid Drew in between them and covered them with her blankets. Brooke on the left, Drew in the middle, Lucas on the right. The baby was the only one that slept soundly. Lucas was wide awake as well as Brooke.

"Brooke." He whispered.

"Yeah." She whispered back.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about dinner. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah it's was great. You're grandmother can sure throw a dinner party. It was a great way to spend Christmas Eve."

"You're lying."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were miserable. You and Jake. I saw you guys itching in you're tux's."

"Well I hate monkey suits. It was a good night. The food was great. You're grandmother made me laugh with all her stories. And then afterwards was fun too."

"Yeah that was my favorite singing Christmas carols around the piano. So …"

"Brooke, Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For being concern, for taking care of Drew, for letting us spend Christmas with you."

"Not a prob Scott. Besides you've grown on me. I actually like spending time with you. I don't know why but I do. We better get some sleep. Glamma's up at dawn on Christmas Day. I swear sometimes she still acts like a little kid."

Lucas laughed softly. "You're grandmother is great you know that."

"Yep she is." Brooke answered yawing. A few minutes later she was fast asleep. Lucas watched her with her eyes closed snoring softly. She had a small smile on her face. He smiled. He flipped over on his back and closed his eyes, but he still couldn't sleep. He couldn't get the dream out of his mind. God what was going on with him? Why after all the time that had passed by, why was he still thinking about her? Gabriella, the only woman that he had loved. The woman that had hurt him and torn his whole world apart. The reason that he would never ever, marry or fall in love. The woman that had ruined him for other women. His ghost, the skeleton in his closet. The woman that he despised and loved at the same time. The woman that he hoped to god he would never see again, because he wasn't sure he could handle it. The woman who had ruined the holidays for him, the woman that haunted his nights, and the woman that he no matter how hard he tried wouldn't disappear. Gabriella De La Fuente. The bitch that had ruined his life.