Lucas drove around for hours in the rain. Finally he made his way back to Deb's house, his work clothes drenched as he let himself in through the front. He walked inside and was surprised to see Brooke, still clad in her waitress wear, sitting at the kitchen table. She seemed engrossed in a book that looked quite familiar. Lucas took another look and realized this it belonged to him. It was a tattered old book filled with famous quotes by equally famous writers, presidents, philosophers and well known leaders. It was a favorite of his and one of Dan's as well. Of all the gifts given to him by his father, that was by far his favorite. Love of great literature seemed to be their only common ground aside from the sport of basketball of course.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up.

"Hey. I didn't hear you pull up."

"Yeah…"

"God, you're soaked."

"I know that", he said annoyed. "I asked you what you were doing."

"I don't know. I already checked on Deb and she's zonked out for the night and I'm still wired from work. I tried watching a little TV but the set kept blinking on and off because of the storm so I found this book."

"It's mine."

"Oh. I didn't know. It was just laying out on the table."

"I must have left it there", he said, reaching inside the refrigerator. "What are you doing with it?"

"Just reading", she shrugged.

Lucas smirked.

"That's a first."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, you just don't look like the type. I mean, it isn't Cosmo."

Brooke rolled her eyes.

"How do you know I read Cosmo?"

"You just look like the type", he observed before frowning. "Are we out of beer? Shit!"

"You seem to be in a mood. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine", he lied.

"Okay. But you are soaking wet, you look pissed off and you did run out of the diner like a bat out of hell."

"Look, it's been a long night, alright? Spare me the cross examination. I had stuff to do. Is Nathan here?"

"Not yet."

"I should call him and tell him to bring home some beer."

"There's soda in the fridge."

"I can see that", he answered sarcastically. "I don't want soda."

"Okay. No need to bite my head off. It was just a suggestion. Besides, I don't know why you drink all the time anyway."

Lucas closed his eyes. Deep down inside he knew. It was in his genes. After all, Dan Scott was rarely seen without a whiskey glass, flask, or thermos containing something other than water.

"There you go with the nosiness again but for your information, I don't need a reason to drink. And I don't need permission either. It's just a little beer."

"But what do you get out of it? I mean, seriously."

"What do you get out of it, besides biting it on a frozen pond in the middle of the night?"

Brooke winced. She was beginning to wish she hadn't shared that bit of personal information with him but she took it with a grain of salt.

"I don't, get anything out of it, I mean. It's okay for a while. You party, get loaded, have a good time. But then it's over and it's like what do you have left?"

Lucas rummaged through the cupboards and found a bottle of Vodka. It would have to do for the time being.

"That's an interesting way of looking at it", he said as he poured the liquid straight into two separate glasses.

He slid one over to her but she shook her head.

"It takes the pain away but only for a little while", she mused sadly. "Eventually, it just comes back."

Her beautiful face was one deep in thought and Lucas was well aware of that observation too. There sat silently until there was another loud clap of thunder, followed by lightening. The electricity inside the house flicked on and off for several seconds before finally deciding to go out completely.

"Damn", Lucas sighed as he stood, feeling his way around looking for candles or a flashlight.

He found a solid candle and lit it, the dim light casting a glow between the two people sitting at the table.

"This sucks", Brooke looked around. "You think the lights will come back on soon?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know. There's no way to tell. Usually the power company is pretty good about restoring power really fast but I guess it depends on how many lines are down and how bad the storm gets. Why?" he asked, pouring himself another shot. "You afraid of the dark?"

"No", she said defensively. "It's just that when I was a little girl…oh never mind."

"What?" he asked. "Just say it."

"It's not important", she sighed. "Besides, why do you want to know so much about me? How come you never talk about yourself?"

"You're the mysterious stranger the last big storm blew in. You just showed up out of nowhere, no one knows who you are, why you're here, or where you came from."

"That really bothers you, huh?"

"Not so much. It's your life, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I don't know. You just seem like somebody running from something pretty big. You seem like somebody in a lot of pain."

She bit her lip as the flame flickered.

"Like you?" she asked softly.

Lucas grinned.

"You trying to psychologize me?"

"No. But you're really something else to try to figure out. It's like you're two people almost. One is a nice guy who just wants to do the right thing and be normal and happy. The other is this angry, scared, confused kid who is in so much pain that he has no choice but to use the anger and aloofness as a front."

Lucas shook his head.

"I'm not surprised. That's something you would come up with."

"Well, if I'm so wrong, then why don't you tell me who the real Lucas Scott is?"

He looked right at her.

"Who said you were wrong?"

"Lucas…"

"You ever played Truth or Dare?"

"Yeah."

"How about a little right now?"

"Now? That's stupid…"

"Why is it stupid?"

"Because it's just us sitting at the table waiting out a storm that just knocked out all the lights."

"Exactly. Now you got something else better to do?"

"No, but…"

"No buts. Just truth…or dare."

Brooke rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine. Dare."

He smiled.

"Okay. I dare you to reveal something to me about your secret past."

Brooke visibly tensed up.

"Look…"

"You know the rules of the game."

She nervously chewed at the inside of her lip.

"Okay", she began carefully. "I, I'm not the person you think I am. I'm not the rich, spoiled, stuck up socialite. I'm not flighty or bitchy or fickle. Maybe I used to be all those things but I'm not anymore. You think you know me, you think you can just pinpoint everything about me but that isn't true. You'll never know the full story. You don't need to know who I used to be or why I'm even here now. I'm not crazy and I'm not a criminal and I'm not on the lamb from the law or anything super interesting like that. I'm just me. I'm just a girl who woke up one morning and decided she wanted something else, something better. I'm just Brooke. You know, they say you're always on the search for something more. I guess I know what that's like. I just want what everybody wants…to be safe and happy…and free."

Lucas was quiet. It wasn't quite the answer he wanted but it would do. It gave him just that much more insight into the mystery.

"Yeah…"

"What about you, Lucas? It's your turn. Truth or dare?"

"Truth", he downed another shot.

"Tell me where you were tonight."

He knew the rules of the game as well.

"Out being an idiot", he laughed bitterly. "Like that's a big surprise. I…I thought Haley was seeing someone and I flipped. I went over there amped up ready to pummel somebody but uh, the joke was on me. It was her brother, Adam."

"I know it's none of my business but aren't you and Haley done?"

"Yeah."

"And wasn't it because…well, you know. Because you messed up?"

He smirked.

"That's an interesting way of putting it. Yeah, I did mess up. I mess up a lot of things, Brooke."

"Then why does it matter if she has another guy? I mean, Haley is a beautiful, sexy woman. And she's smart and sweet and funny and she has a really great heart and personality. She's a catch and one day…"

"I know that. Eventually, she will move on and find someone else one day. But it couldn't be today. Not today. I wasn't ready. I just couldn't handle it."

His voice and body language completely changed.

"You really love her, don't you?" Brooke quizzed.

"I do. It's tough."

"If you had her back, would it be different? Would you change?"

He thought long and hard before confessing all to a stranger.

"No."

Brooke was taken aback.

"No? Lucas, why…"

"I loved Haley very much. Hell, I love her now. She's a great girl and I'm sorry I hurt her but I don't know…it's hard to explain."

"That maybe you loved her but you weren't in love with her?"

"Well, yeah, I guess something like that."

"It happens, I suppose. You find yourself with someone and it's good and you're happy and it just gets kind of comfortable I guess. Before you know it you've gone past that point of no return and you roll over one morning and look at someone and wonder how you both got there?"

"Are you trying to tell me something about you?"

"No", she smiled. "I was just making an observation."

"I see."

"Can I just ask you one more thing, Lucas?"

"Depends."

"When you started the whole thing with Haley, did you know then?"

He knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I kind of did."

She nodded.

"Yeah…"

More loud thunder that made her tremble.

"Shot?" he offered again, sliding the glass over to her again.

She didn't answer but took it from his hands and downed the liquid, which burned as it poured down the inside of her body. As she finished, enjoying that warm, tingly but calm feeling that had taken over, the lights flickered again and power was restored.

"Thanks", she said.

He nodded.

"Looks like the storm is over."

Brooke stood and looked around before going back to her room.

"No", she said quietly. "It's just beginning."