Author's note: Sorry this chapter took so long. I had it done Friday but it was on my work computer and I forgot to e-mail it to myself so I could edit and post during the weekend. But here it is now, I hope it's worth the wait.

Chapter 13- I Never Forgot

I'm longing for love and the logical
But he's only happy hysterical
I'm searching for some kind of miracle
Waited so long
So long

"Brooke."

"Hi." Brooke felt as though that was the only word she knew. She just couldn't believe that he was standing before her.

For the most part, he looked the same. Definitely older, but everything else seemed to be just the same. He was still tall and thin. He had his hair shaved real close to his head, and he had a little bit of a beard growing in, that only added to him looking older. His eyes hadn't changed one bit. As he stood there, taking her in, she felt as though he wasn't just looking at her on the outside, but as though he was searching deep into her soul.

"What are you doing here?" It didn't come out the right way. He just didn't know what else to say.

She looked amazing. The years hadn't changed her much, only made her more beautiful. She wore her hair in long sensual waves. Unlike in high school, she wore very little makeup. Her clothing had changed a bit too. She was wearing a knee length skirt and a turtleneck sweater. She was much more covered up than she used to be in high school and it made her look very mature.

Brooke smiled up at him nervously. He grinned a little, causing her smile to widen, exposing her dimples. With the mere sight of her dimples he could feel his heart crumbling. That smile seemed to be all it took to break the ice.

"I wanted to see you. Can we maybe go somewhere and talk?" She held her breath, hoping reality wouldn't strike and he'd slam the door in her face.

Slowly he began to nod, "Sure. Let me just grab my coat."

Lucas ventured back into the house. Brooke stayed on the front porch. She needed a few minutes to compose herself.

She'd known that she'd missed him throughout the years, but now that she'd seen him she realized just how empty she'd been.

After a few minutes Lucas joined Brooke on the porch.

"So where to?"

Brooke shrugged, "Just somewhere quiet where we can talk."

"I know just the place. Should we walk?"

Brooke held out her foot, "I'm not really dressed for a walk."

Lucas laughed at her insanely high heels. "Some things never change. Here, I'll drive."

He rested his hand on the small of her back and guided her towards his car. This small gesture sent her heart racing. The feel of his hand through her coat and sweater made her skin tingle with excitement.

They drove in silence. It wasn't awkward though, not one bit. They were just enjoying one another's presence. Both scrambling to remember all the things they wish they'd said.

Brooke smiled as they pulled up to the River Court.

"Wow." She said as she exhaled. "I haven't been here in years. I purposely avoid it each time I'm home. Do you still come here and play?"

"Yeah." Lucas nodded. "Pretty regularly actually. Most of the guys are still in the area. It's nice, having a part of my child hood present in my adult world."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "I wish I had that."

"Oh come on, there isn't anything in your life now that's simple? Nothing that's like it was when you were young?"

Brooke shook her head, "Not that I can think of. My life seems like it's so far from what it used to be."

"Tell me about it." Lucas asked as he sat down on the bleachers.

"Well. I graduated from Meredith last May. I started work on my MBA this past August. I live with my best friend Emma in an apartment a little ways from school. I've been keeping my ear open about any internships. I'm hoping to nab something in New York this summer, try and start making a name for myself." Brooke looked over at Lucas. "What about you? Tell me about your life."

"Well, I'm still running my mom's club. I've thought about going to school, but I really have a good thing going. My mom married Keith a few years ago, so once he moved in I moved out. That's been really great, I needed my freedom. I needed to start living my own life." Lucas paused and looked down at the ground. "Are you happy?" He asked softly. Once the words left his lips, he turned his head, looking at Brooke.

She started to shake her head slowly. "No. I'm not happy. My life feels empty. No matter how hard I try I can't fill that emptiness."

"Have you felt like this long?"

"Ever since the day you walked away." Brooke had been looking out at the water, or down at the ground, she'd been avoiding his eyes. Turning her head now, she looked up, looked right into them. "I don't think I can keep living my life without you in it."

Lucas was stunned. He didn't know what to say. He'd been longing to hear those words for so long that now that she was saying them he didn't know how to react. He averted his eyes, looking down at the ground once again.

"I know that's not fair for me to say. I know we haven't seen each other in years. But Lucas, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about you. I know I screwed up all those years ago, and I'm sorry, I really truly am sorry. I can't go back and fix it, but I can swear to you that it will never happen again."

Brooke looked over at Lucas, waiting for him to say something, anything.

"How do I know you won't disappear again? You never said good bye before you left for school, I just never heard from you again." He finally looked back up at her. "You need to tell me, you have to reassure me because Brooke, I can't risk giving you my heart again if you're just going to disappear. My heart can't take losing you again. When you left it was like you tore out a piece of my heart and it went with you. I've tried so hard to get it back but I can't. I can't risk giving you even more of my heart and having you run off with that."

"Do you know why I disappeared before Lucas? Why I never tried to contact you when I was home?" Brooke glanced over as he shook his head. "Because I was scared of this, this thing between us. I don't know what it is, I didn't know then and I don't know now. But there's something here, and it's something that isn't going to go away. I mean look, it hasn't gone away in all these years. But this thing, well it scares me, it always has. That's why I ran, to get away from it. It worked for a while, but now I'm scared of something else."

"What?"

"I'm scared of never knowing. I'm scared of never exploring this thing between us. I'm scared of wondering, ten years down the road, what could have been. I know I'm the one that ran scared so I don't deserve to ask you this, but Lucas, please, let's give this a chance. I can't even say another chance because I really didn't give it a fair chance before, but let's do it now. No holds barred, I want to see if whatever this is between us, if it can be something real. Can we give it a chance Lucas?"

"Do you realize what you're asking me?"

Brooke nodded and looked back down at the ground, allowing him time to think. Finally she began to speak again. "I always imagine this thing. It's ten, twenty years down the road and I'm in Tree Hill for Christmas or Thanksgiving or something. I'm at the grocery store and I look up and there you are. I really believe that there will still be something very powerful between us. No matter what our situations are, whether we're married to other people, have kids with other people, no matter what the sight of you will still unravel me. I don't want to live a life of regret. I don't want to look back years down the road and regret never giving this a chance."

Lucas did not move, he did not utter a word for what seemed like hours on end. Finally he nodded, very slowly at first, and then with more volition. "We can give it a chance. But you have to promise me something Brooke."

"Okay…"

"Promise me that when you're scared you won't run. Promise me that you'll talk to me about it. I'm scared too, I won't lie. This thing between us is so strong I'm scared of what it could really be, but I won't let that fear get in the way of discovering it. You can't let fear get in the way either. Just promise me that you'll talk to me about it?"

"I will Lucas, I promise."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, not really knowing what to do or say. Lucas exhaled loudly causing Brooke to turn and look at him.

"I'm glad you finally admitted it Brooke."

"Yeah, it only took me six years to say."

"I always knew you felt it but for some reason that I never understood, you could never say the words."

"I guess I wasn't ever ready. It's just that I'd had so much heartache in my life, I couldn't risk more."

Lucas stood up and pulled Brooke off the bench so they stood facing one another. Lucas pulled Brooke in close, one hand on the small of her back, the other he ran softly through the waves of her hair.

"Pretty girl, remember one thing. The last thing I've ever wanted to do is break your heart."

With that he leaned in slowly, it was as though there was a force between them, drawing them together. Their lips touched, softly at first. It sent tingles through both their bodies. Their kiss deepened. After all these years it felt exactly the same.

Once their kiss broke Lucas opened his eyes and noticed tears falling down Brooke's face. He didn't need to ask, he knew. He pulled her close, knowing that was all she needed. It was all they both needed.