Author's Note: Guys, I am finally back! Sorry about the recent lack of updates that I totally blame on my increased work load, busier social life and temporary writer's block! But I was determined to get this chapter out today and more will follow tomorrow. So please enjoy and thanks for your patience. As always, I love the reviews and keep them coming. Carys, Jessica, Ann, Colleen and tardychic...you guys are ALWAYS there and I love you for it. Hope this next segment doesn't disappoint. And to EVERONE who has ever read and especially reviewed...thank you, thank you, thank you. Also to Helen who submitted the "feedback of the week", lol. I love your comments, compliments and detailed review. You're a sweetheart and while it's nice to accept constructive criticism, never in the process let someone else destroy your dream or knock your talent!!! : )

"Is that the last of everything?" Lucas asked as he wiped at his brow.

"I think so", Brooke nodded. "I've got all my stuff unpacked and set up. The only thing left to do now is tackle the baby's room."

Lucas smiled at just the thought of the addition of a nursery. He couldn't wait to be a dad and at least Brooke had moved back into the Connecticut house. He of course was residing on the property's guest cottage but at least it was a start. After all the heartache and turmoil, he'd take what he could get and having Brooke in Greenwich and at least speaking to him was a considered blessing.

"Well I could help you with that", Lucas offered. "Setting up the baby's room. We could do it together...if you want."

"That's fine", she shrugged.

"Cool. Um, maybe we could have dinner together tonight in the main house. You know, discuss plans for the nursery and all..."

"Um, yeah, whatever. We'll see", Brooke sighed.

Less than one full day together in the house and already it was turning into exactly what Brooke didn't want. With lots of reluctance, she had decided to move back to the Connecticut home. The decision had been difficult, one she had agonized over for days but in the end, it just seemed like the right thing to do, whatever that was. Now she was plagued with self doubt only further agitated by the look of hope in Luke's eyes. She could admit her love for him and even the fact that she missed the way things used to be but no amount of hope in the world could erase the wounds of the past.

"Well I'm kind of tired and all. I'm gonna go lie down. I guess I'll see you around later..."

"Okay. Um, if you need anything Brooke, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay."

"Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I'm glad you're home."

She nodded and as she closed the door to the guest bedroom nearest what was going to be the nursery. Even with Luke safely tucked away in the guest cottage, there was no way she could bring herself to sleep in what had been their marital bedroom. They had shared too many happy memories there. They had made love too many times there. And it was there they'd had the awful final confrontation where she had walked out on their marriage. The room was evil as far as she was concerned and with all the memories it was simply too much to take.

Lucas sighed as he cleaned up the empty boxes and various remnants from Brooke's move. His emotions were mixed to say the least. He was thrilled to have her home again but the roommate type situation was a little weird to say the least. It had never been like that before. She had always been...Brooke. Happy, smiling, flirty, cheery Brooke. Now it was two strangers tip toeing around each other never knowing exactly what to say. He was more than grateful to have her back in his life but he secretly wondered if it would ever get better. Would they ever be able to restore the love and comfort they had once shared?

Brooke pushed the meat around on her plate with her fork. All of a sudden the pork chop was the most interesting thing in the world. She couldn't stop staring at it or the plate or the table or the floor...anywhere other than the estranged husband who sat awkwardly across from her.

"I talked to Nate and Hales today. They're doing good. She, um, said she would e-mail us some pictures of Tristan..."

Brooke nodded.

"Also there is some stuff I wanted to get for the baby's room if you want to take a look at it together or maybe we can go shopping..."

"I've already picked out most of the stuff but if you found some things then I guess I could take a look."

"That's cool. Uh whenever you're not busy. I...I just thought it would be something fun we could do together."

"Okay", she shrugged.

"I was hoping that for your next doctor's appointment, maybe I could come along. I mean, I'd really like to be there for the first ultrasound and all..."

"I'll have more asparagus, please", Brooke nodded to the chef.

The "family" dinner Lucas had so looked forward to was not going exactly according to plan.

"Nathan and Haley are taking the kids to Barbados on vacation next month. Haley wanted to know if we would join them..."

Brooke slammed down her fork a little harder and quicker than she meant to.

"Lucas!"

Right away a look of hurt registered across his face.

"Brooke, I'm sorry if..."

"Lucas, just hear me out", she began in as gentle a voice as possible. "Look, I loved back here because I'm sick of hating you and fighting with you and I wanted to give you a chance to be closer to the...our baby. It's still hard for me and it wasn't the easiest decision, but I think it's fair. We have come a long way and I'm really trying here but it's a very long and tedious road we still have to travel to get to where we're going to end up."

"And where is that?" he asked softly.

"I don't know", Brooke answered honestly. "Lucas, to tell you the truth, I don't really know. All I know is that I am making an effort here and I will continue to do so. I will be civil and we can try to work out an arrangement that will be best for our child but beyond that, I don't know what you want from me."

"I just want to start over. I just want us to be a family."

"In a perfect world, yeah but nothing is perfect, Luke. I'm not and you sure as hell aren't. All I can give you is one day at a time. But for now I can't sit here and make nice and have dinner with you every night and go baby shopping like none of this ever happened."

"Brooke..."

"I'm sorry but I'm not your friend and I'm not your wife anymore."

"Brooke..."

Her cell phone rang and she breathed a collective sigh of relief. Saved by the bell!

"This is Peyton, I think I better take it. Excuse me, please."

Brooke retreated upstairs to the safety of her bedroom.

"Hey you, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, you actually saved me", Brooke sighed. "What's going on with you?"

"Not a lot. Work is going okay, Jake is fine and we just had to ground Jenny...again but other than that I'd say life is pretty normal. Now how are things your way?"

"Let's see, I hate a whole tub of Cherry Garcia ice cream today, I puked twice while attempting to brush my teeth and according to the scale I have gained a whopping seven pounds...oh and not to mention, I finally moved back to Connecticut yesterday."

"And how is that?"

"Awkward...tense...uncomfortable...suffocating...need I go on?"

"That great, huh?" Peyton laughed.

"Oh yeah", Brooke added sarcastically. "We're just a regular Ozzie and Harriet."

"You guys will be okay. Sure it's weird now but it's only the second day. Just give it some time."

"Pey, I'm not sure I want to."

"I thought this is what you wanted."

"I did too. I guess it is...sort of...maybe, hell I don't know. Who am I kidding? This shit sucks! Lucas and I are not ready for this! I am definitely not ready for this. I mean, I'm ready to start trying to building for something better but living with him or near him again is totally weird."

"Of course it's going to be awkward, Brooke, especially at first but with more time and more counseling, I'm sure it'll be okay."

"I don't know if I want it to be okay anymore. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. And Lucas...well, he's being so...so...so..."

"So what?"

"Annoying!"

"How?"

"He's being sweet and I mean sickening syrupy sweet. It's totally nerve racking. And he offered to go shopping for baby furniture and he wants to see the sonogram at my next appointment and get this, when I ran out of ice cream this afternoon, he went and bought me some more."

"That bastard", Peyton mocked with a giggle.

"Pey! This is not funny! And whose side are you on anyway?"

"The side I'm always on which is yours and I know this isn't funny but geez, Brooke. At least the guy is trying. And yes he was a pig for ever cheating in the first place but the past is done and I thought you wanted to move towards a possible future."

"I do."

"Then cut the guy some slack. Brooke I know you're still hurt and angry but you have to try to get past this if you're ever gonna make this work."

"I am trying", Brooke pouted.

"Well try harder! You know you can't change what he did but for your sake and Luke's sake and especially your baby's sake, you have to move forward. I know it won't be easy and nobody ever said it would be but it's gonna take effort, real effort, Brooke. So if he wants to be involved in this pregnancy...then let him. It's a start. And isn't that the main reason you agreed to move back anyway? For the baby?"

"Yeah but..."

"No buts, Brooke. If this situation has any chance of getting better, then it's going to be on you. And if you don't want it to, then just drop it and walk away. But I know you and I know you want things to get better. I know you love Lucas still and I know you love that baby inside you and I know you want to be a family again. It won't happen overnight and no one is expecting you to just forgive and forget completely everything he did but my God, Brooke. You've got to start somewhere. Something's got to give."

Brooke sulked into the phone. All the pouting in the world wouldn't change the fact that Peyton was right. Brooke knew she would eventually have to meet Lucas somewhere in the middle but it was all so hard. She was honestly trying but it was hard. And no one would ever understand that unless they had walked a mile in her shoes.

Brooke smiled as she hung up the Winnie the Pooh figurines on the wall. Her color theme was white and yellow as she didn't yet know the sex of her baby and wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Brooke had always been a fan of surprises but at the same time she knew it would be impossible almost for her to wait a little under six months to know if she was having a son or daughter. Regardless she loved looking at all the baby toys, clothes and furniture. It was exciting putting together a nursery and she couldn't help but notice that Lucas had walked by four times already, trying not to be obvious as he peeked in on her. The fifth time she sucked it up and sighed as she remembered the advice from Peyton's phone call. She knew she had to start somewhere.

"Lucas!"

He walked in and she forced a small smile.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"I, um, I just wanted you to see the nursery. This is what I'm doing with it so far. I...I'm gonna put the crib right over there by the wall. At first I was thinking more towards the center of the room but now the wall looks better. What do you think?"

"The wall is great", he grinned, totally happy that his mere opinion was valued.

"Thanks."

"Um...do you need some help?"

"No, I...actually, yeah. If you're not busy. I've got some paint and Brooke Davis Scott is gonna go out on a limb here and actually do the manual labor herself instead of hiring someone. Want to help?"

"Yeah", Lucas smiled. "It...it's good to see your creative side."

"It's the hormones", she joked. "Trust me, in an hour I'll be either too tired, too frustrated or too hungry to continue."

"Whatever you want", he grinned. "If you're too tired, take a rest and if you get too frustrated then you can just yell at me and if you get too hungry...well, I'm still on ice cream delivery duty, Mrs. Scott."

She smiled a real non-forced smile. Even when he referred to her as Mrs. Scott, it sent a familiar barrage of butterflies throughout her whole body.

"Well let's get started then. Oh, hold on a sec. Let me change shirts, I don't want to get paint on this one..."

Brooke traded her pretty floral print shirt for an old Tree Hill sweatshirt that had definitely seen better days. Lucas' eyes bulged as he inventoried the sight before him. He was in shock, in total mystified awe.

"What?" Brooke asked as he came to her and placed a hand across her belly.

"Your stomach...it's getting bigger."

Brooke had always had a super tiny waist complimented by rock hard wash board abdominal muscles. Now, almost four months along, her tummy was just starting to stick out from the rest of her body.

"That's what happens when you get pregnant, silly", Brooke nervously giggled.

"It's beautiful", Lucas gushed as he stared at her with tear filled eyes. "It's really beautiful, Brooke...and so are you. That's our little baby in there."

She closed her eyes and placed her hand over his and for one brief moment they were a family again. And for one brief moment, all was right with the world.