Title: Never Gone

Author: D. Sollers

Summary: FIRST THREE CHAPTERS REWRITTEN- AU. Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott were high school sweethearts with their whole future ahead of them. The news of a baby drives the couple apart and years later they must come to terms with the present, the past and the future. Couple: It's BL in flashbacks, BL in the future but BN in the present. Hopefully you'll be able to follow (slight Naley implications and Jeyton as well)
Rating:

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with One Tree Hill except for a few overly played DVDs and a poster of Chad Michael Murray, who at the present time I would like to throw darts at. So…another words don't sue me

Author's Notes: This is AU so I hope I won't confuse anyone with the way things are in the story. Everything will work itself out, just keep reading. I hit writers block with all my stories and haven't been writing the last few months. But, with the presence of Brucas on the show, WHO couldn't be inspired to write? Hopefully no one has lost their interest.

CHAPTER TWO- It's my party (and I'll cry if I want to)

Ten years later…

"Don't forget to make a wish."

Brooke watched as Nathan lit the candles and backed away from her daughters cake. She glanced around the room at Isabella's friends and smiled softly. There were presents placed behind her and Isabella stood over her cake. Brooke could tell her daughter was thinking about what she would wish this year.

She watched as her daughter blew out ten candles and the room was filled with laughter. A bunch of girls hurdled around Isabella asking what she wished for but she shook her head.

"Uncle Nate tells me every year not to tell! Other wise it won't come true," Isabella said. Her friends rolled their eyes and turned back to the cake. Nathan cut it, giving her the first piece.

"Here ya go princess."

Isabella smiled up at him before running out of the room with her cake. One by one her friends followed her as they got their slice. When the room was empty Brooke sat down in the chair next to Nathan and put her head on the table.

"They get more hyper each year."

Nathan agreed with a laugh. "Can you believe Izzy's ten?"

Brooke looked up at him and shook her head no. Sometimes, it seemed like only yesterday that she would rock her daughter to sleep in her arms. But other times, when she remembered Lucas and everything that had happened between them it seemed like lifetimes ago. Her smile fell from her face and Nathan wrapped an arm around her.

"It's okay Brooke. I know how you feel," Nathan said as she buried her head in his arms. Brooke stayed there content in his arms until they both heard a knock on the porch door. Brooke looked up to see Haley standing in the door with a present in her hands.

Nathan pulled away from Brooke and opened the sliding glass door. "Hey Hales," he said as he pulled her into a friendly hug. She hugged him back and then gave one to Brooke.

"This is for Bella."

As Haley handed Nathan the gift, Brooke couldn't help but laugh at the many nicknames her daughter had collected over the years. Izzy, Princess, Bella, were among the many. She was sure it had something to do with the fact that she herself had given all her friends nicknames in high school.

Haley looked through the glass doors and she could see that Chris was getting irritated. He beeped the car horn twice and waved his hand at her. She sighed and then turned back to look at Nathan and Brooke. "I should get going. We have a flight at 7:00."

"Isabella come give Haley a hug!" Brooke called over her shoulder. Isabella came running in the room and jumped up to give Haley a hug. She kissed her cheek and then turned to face her mom.

"Mom, Callie said that Jason said that Michael thinks I'm cute!"

Haley and Nathan laughed and Brooke shook her head. She wondered if that too was punishment for how Brooke had been as a teenager. When Isabella turned thirteen she was definitely locking her in a closet. "Well you are cute." Isabella grinned.

"I know but he's like the cutest boy in school!"

"I thought I was the cutest boy in school," Nathan asked his niece. She looked up at him and rolled her eyes.

"Uncle Nate. You're our gym teacher and you're not even a boy. You're old!" Isabella walked back into the front room. Haley and Brooke both laughed as Nathan raised his eyebrow.

"I'm old now? When did that happen?"

Chris beeped the horn again and Haley sighed. "I have to go. I'm sorry I couldn't stay any longer. Give Peyton and Jake my love," Haley said as she hugged the couple again. She excused herself and made her way back to Chris. "I'm coming. You could have gone in and said hello!"

Brooke watched the two and turned towards Nathan. "You think she'll ever leave him?" Nathan shook his head no and Brooke turned towards the presents. "Well how about helping me bring the presents in so that Isabella can open them? Unless you're bones are too old to lift them." She giggled.

Nathan just ignored her and kissed her forehead. "I think I'm up to it," he said as her grabbed her daughters presents and made the way into their living room. The living room was small nothing like Brooke had grown up in. But even so, it was home to Brooke. Their were pictures scattered around the room ones of Isabella throughout her childhood. She sat down in the oversized chair and could feel Nathan sit behind her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned in to it as they watched Isabella open her presents.

……

A few hours later all the kids had gone home and Isabella was in her room. Brooke could make out the sounds of music coming from her bedroom as she made her way into the kitchen. Peyton was sitting on the kitchen stool as Brooke approached the counter.

"Where are the guys?"

"In the garage. Nate wanted to show Jake the pool table you got him," Peyton explained. Brooke smiled. Nathan loved that pool table. He took any chance he could to play a game except when she was willing to play. Losing a game wasn't an option to Nathan Scott and he would definitely lose if she was playing.

"Jenny and Isabella seem to be getting along again."

Peyton nodded. "Those two fight more than we ever did."

"It's like they're the new generation or something." Brooke giggled.

They stayed silent for a moment and Brooke took a seat next to Peyton. "We need to talk to Haley. Someone needs to get her to leave him Peyton. She was here for five minutes and he was already getting crazy with her. I know she stays with him because she feels like she owes him for her career. But it's like when I look at her, I don't see her. Like really see her. I thought at first it was because she lost the baby but it's been three years. And it's only getting worse," Brooke said.

"Did we interrupt anything?"

Nathan's voice broke the girls silence. They quickly nodded their head no as Nathan opened the refrigerator. He threw a beer to each of them and then sat down on the couch.

"So who won?"

Nathan smirked at her. "Who do you think won?"

Brooke ignored him and got off her stool. "I have to go give Isabella her present," Brooke said as Nathan nodded his head. Peyton gave her a sympathetic smile and leaned against Jake. She had become accustom to being at their house when Brooke would give Isabella the presents. Every birthday, there would be a package sent to the house from Lucas. Inside each one was a letter and pictures of the places he had been and the people he had met.

As she walked up the stairs she was about to knock on her daughters door but was interrupted by the sound of her praying.

'Dear God. I just wanted to say thank you again for everything you've given me. I love my mom and uncle Nate very much. I know I am not supposed to ask this but I can't help it. Please bring my daddy home. I want him here and even though she doesn't say it I know my mommy does too. Amen.'

Brooke felt tears enter her eyes as she knocked softly on the door. She opened it and could see that Isabella was in her bed already. Brooke made her way across the room and sat down beside her daughter. She propped the present in her daughters lap and smiled gently. "Open it."

Isabella pulled back the silver bow and ripped the pink paper apart. She lifted the lid to the box and pulled out a wooden jewelry box. When she opened it, a ballerina appeared. She smiled and ran her fingers over the hard surface. "I love it," she whispers as Brooke shakes her head. She hands her daughter the letter that came with it and her daughter shakes her head no. "Read it to me?"

Brooke took a deep breath. Every time a letter came from Lucas she forced herself to smile for her daughter. She would read them to her and when Isabella and Nathan were fast asleep she would take a shower and cry. The letters never said anything about her, never gave any sign that he still thought about her. Brooke always waited for him to mention anything, but nothing ever came.

Dear Isabella,
Hello again. It's been a few weeks since my last letter. I've been busy with the team. We made the finals can you believe that? Your dad actually got his team to the finals! Sometimes I wonder if you watch my team play. But then I remember your uncle Nathan and I know he would make you watch them with him. I saw your aunt Haley the other day. I was in New York, about to board an airplane and there she was. She didn't say anything to me just walked right by. I don't even know if she recognized me after all these years. Have you listened to her album? I go to sleep listening to it. 'Fly on Home' is my favorite song. Sometimes I wish it was that simple.
Send uncle Jake and aunt Peyton my love. And know that wherever you are I love you. You're the best thing in my life and even if I'm not there to tell you that I want you to know it. Hopefully I will be able to come home soon back to you.
Love Always,
Your dad.
PS: I want you to hug your mother for me and tell her I miss her more than I ever imagined

Brooke stared at the last sentence and fought back tears. After ten years of nothing Lucas had finally included her in one of his letters. Isabella put her arms around Brooke and hugged her tight.

She tried to say something to her daughter, but no words came out. Brooke held Isabella for a moment and then pulled away. "So how was your birthday?" Brooke asked. Isabella thought for a moment and then smiled.

"Good."

"Did you get everything you wanted?"

Isabella's eyes darted around the room, taking in the sight of the presents she had received. She had gotten all the toys she had asked for and her mother had even gotten her the clothes she had wanted. Uncle Nathan had given her money which was always a good thing. And her father had sent her a very beautiful jewelry box. But still she wasn't satisfied. "Almost everything. I really wish dad could have been here."

Brooke bent down and kissed her daughter on her forehead. "He wanted to be Isabella. I promise. He just couldn't. Goodnight." Brooke turned off the light and headed out of Isabella's room. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

Isabella opened her dresser drawer and pulled out an old wrinkled picture. It was one of her mother and father taken at prom. They looked happy back then. She kissed her finger and brought it down to her dad's face. "Goodnight dad."

tbc...