Lucas' eyes surveyed the familiar streets as he stood by the pump waiting for the gas to be unloaded in the truck. He was home alright. He was definitely back in Tree Hill. He had already seen his parents and Deb and Keith. Now there was one more confrontation and perhaps it was the most important.

He had no idea what he would say or how he would say it. Lucas just knew it had to be said. And she had to believe him. Maybe she would and maybe she wouldn't. If she didn't, he couldn't much blame her. He had screwed up and she had endured a lot.

The sky had turned to nightfall and he was headed over to Deb's Den. It would be packed with locals and all the food, drinks, music and pool shooting you could ask for. And sometimes local talent, mostly garage bands and whatnot, would play the cramped venue. Some of them weren't half bad. But that was his primary reason for going. He could almost bank his wife would be there and he had to see her.

"Holy shit! Lucas Scott, is that you, boy?"

Lucas looked up at the SUV barreling towards him. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"What's up, Tim Man?"

"Tim Smith, Lucas' best friend since childhood.

"What the hell are you doing sneaking back into town?" Tim grinned.

Lucas shrugged.

"You know me, man."

"Yeah, I know your ass alright and I knew that gay ass race car driving shit wouldn't last."

"It was cool, just not for me, I guess."

"You here for good?"

The trillion dollar question.

"Looks that way."

"Nice whip. Uncle Keith hook you up with the wheels?"

"It's just temporary, you know, until I figure stuff out."

"Well, I got an idea. Let's go somewhere and kick back and get drunk."

Yeah, some things never changed.

"I was going over to Deb's place…"

"Man, screw that! I'm talking about someplace cool."

"I can't…"

"Come on, Luke."

Lucas sighed and looked around.

"Alright. Okay, man. But just for a little while. I mean it. A couple drinks and then I have to roll."

"Fair enough."

"Where we heading?" Lucas asked, putting the gas cap back on.

Tim grinned.

"Just follow me."

Lucas did as he was told and a few miles later on the outskirts of town, it was crystal clear where the two were headed. The Dollhouse, Tree Hill's premiere strip club.

"I should have known", Lucas shook his head after the men had parked and were headed in.

It was a decent place if you were into strip clubs. It was a little bigger than most and definitely a lot cleaner. The drink selection was better and the girls thinner and prettier. But a titty bar was still a titty bar and the place smelled like sex.

"Two shots of Jager", Tim ordered to start them off.

"Dude!"

"What?" Tim shrugged innocently. "This is your unofficial welcome home party. Relax."

"So what have you been up to?" Lucas asked as they tossed back their shots.

"Besides deflowering virgins and drinking a lot of beer?"

Lucas laughed. The Tim. Still the goofy, lovable, dingberry he had grown up with. Lucas often wondered how they had become such good friends. But it was obvious. Both had parents in the same social circles and both were stand out athletes. It was kind of an unwritten rule that they be friends. And Lucas Scott was the most popular kid at Tree Hill High. Tim Smith practically worshiped him.

"You're sick, Dim. You know that?"

"Work is cool, I guess. We've got some travel coming up soon, trips to New York and Chicago and stuff."

Tim was a software engineer, of all things, for IBM.

"That'll be fun. And the girl situation?"

Tim couldn't control his grin.

"You really want to know?"

"I asked, didn't I?"

"Center stage. Check her out", he nodded. "What do you think?"

5'10", creamy skin, an ass and bobs to die for, and legs that went for days. She had long, dark hair and a much better than average face.

"Man, are you kidding?"

"Her name is Natasha."

"She's a stripper, dude."

"She's hot."

"Tim, she's a stripper."

"She's putting herself through college."

Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Aren't they all? Dude, she is a stripper."

"But she's triple jointed and she gives a hell of a blow job. Get this, man", he said in a giddy, horny teenager's voice. "She swallows."

Lucas sighed. The way Tim described it, you'd think the girl could cure cancer just by giving head. She was probably like all the others before her. A pretty face with a nice rack unfortunately more interested in the approval number on Tim's Master Card, than Tim himself. Would the guy ever learn? When would he leave the dancers alone?

"She's hot, dude."

Tim rubbed his hands together.

"Can't wait to get me some of that later. And she has friends, too. Look around, man. I mean it. Any chick you see in here and she's yours. Tasha will hook it up."

"I'm cool."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. It's just cool."

Tim touched Luke's forehead feeling around for a fever.

"You feeling alright?"

"I'm fine", Lucas swatted his hand away. "Get off me, fag."

"It's not just not like you to turn down pussy."

Lucas shrugged.

"I'm a married man."

Tim rolled his eyes.

"Like that ever stopped you before."

Lucas stared at the ice cold beer that had just been delivered to him.

"I know but things are gonna be different from now on. I'm trying to change."

Tim laughed out loud as he took a big swig.

"What in the hell has happened to our male society?" he shook his head. "In this day and age of Oprah and Dr. Phil and men being from Mars and women being from Venus and all that self help shit…man, it's lucky we still have our balls attached. What's wrong with you, Luke? What happened? You're always changing? It started after Nate and you played that game at the River Court for High Fliers. All of a sudden you had to change and be a better brother. Then in college you wanted to be a better student. You get married and you want to be a better husband. Then you run away to drive Matchbox cars to be a better person. What the fuck are you searching for now?"

Lucas looked at him and took a deep breath.

"I don't know. Something more, I guess."

Tim shook his head.

"There ain't so such thing. I don't know why you keep running but one day you're gonna have to stop. We can't escape from who we really are inside and I remember the guy you used to be, the real you."

"Tim…"

"Look, I don't know about you but I'm gonna go shoot a game of pool. Then I'm gonna have a few more drinks and chill here until my girl clocks out. Either you can stay here and join me and have some fun or you can go running off searching for whatever the hell you're searching for. Now what's it going to be?"

Lucas looked around.

"Alright. I got 50 bucks that says you scratch on the break."

"You're on, punk ass", Tim laughed as they headed over to the pool table.

Lucas lit a cigarette as they relined the balls. A sexy blonde wearing a dress that left little to the imagination, sauntered over to them.

"Private dance, later?" she playfully and not so subtly slapped his ass.

Lucas looked at the face and the body and could only imagine the things she could do with her body in a more private setting with a little music.

"Could be. Find me later."

Then it was rime to play. Tim was on cloud nine.

"That's my boy", he said proudly. "Welcome back, man. Welcome back."