A/N- I have been planning on writing a second chapter to this story since shortly after I wrote it but I have been incredibly busy with homework and on weekends I enjoy going out. But today I am home sick and I am going to write. So here we go.

Renewed Destiny

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next."

Brooke drove slowly into a parking spot. She maneuvered around the other cars and parked quickly and without hesitation. It was the next step that had the hesitation, opening the car door and getting out of the car. She turned her key in the ignition and the car shuddered as it went from on to off. Brooke removed the keys and threw them in her large, black, leather bag next to her. Her small, manicured hand reached and clutched the door handle. With one swift motion she opened the car door. The door swung open, slightly nicking the white door of the car next to her. Brooke's eyes settled on the red streak left by the door and then choosing to ignore it looked away. Brooke reached her left leg out the door; the first step had been literally taken. She then stepped completely out of the car. She bent over and grabbed her sack-bag and smoothed the creases in her charcoal gray woolen pants, her teal camisole and her black cardigan. She ran her hands through her long brown hair with blonde highlights that were so desperately trying to hide the grey hair that was beginning to show. She bent over on last time to check her make-up in her mirror, she pursed her lips, smacked them twice and she stood up. It was show time. And she knew exactly who she was out to impress.

The heels of Brooke's black boots clicked as she walked under the banner reading, "Welcome Back, Graduated of 2007". Brooke recognized the sign. It was the same sign that she had walked under the last time she was in this gym, ten years ago. Today was her twenty year reunion. It was been twenty years since she had graduated. Today was much different from the last time she was in the gym, at her ten year reunion. That day she had walked in holding hands with Michael, her husband and kissed her high school boyfriend, Lucas. Michael had died four years ago from cancer. The battle had been long, Michael spent two years in out of the hospital, but he eventually lost his battle. He left Brooke behind to raise their small daughters, Kianna and Tatiana. Kianna was now eight and Tatiana was now six. Tonight they were with her parents, who had moved back to Tree Hill a few years ago to retire. Brooke and they had renewed their relationship after Michael died.

Brooke continued to live in the city. She continued her job at Michael's old company. She made decent money and Michael had left everything to her and the girls. But Brooke's life had changed drastically. She went back to the fun girl. She was partying all of the time as she did in high school but she was having fun with her kids, taking them to the park, to riding lessons, going out for ice cream, and playing all-sorts of games. She had her spunk back. It was too bad that it took the death of her husband to put it back in her.

Brooke made a quick stop in the bathroom, to check her outfit and make-up again. As much as Brooke had changed, she could not change that materialistic side of her that made her want to look perfect. Once in the bathroom, she opened her bag and pulled out a small make-up bag. Inside she pulled out her favorite lipstick, a deep reddish-pink. She expertly applied it to her lips. Using her pinkie-finger she wiped the running eyeliner under eye, wiping it away. As she was re-parting her hair, the door swung open, revealing Peyton on the other side.

"Hi," Brooke said nervously. She remember the days that Peyton and herself would spent time in front of this very mirror after games, practice and gym doing the exact same thing Brooke was doing now. But those days had ending many years ago.

"Hello," Peyton replied. "How's it going?"

"Good," Brooke said with a smile, "you?"

"Pretty good," Peyton said as she leaned forward towards the mirror pulling her shoulder length wavy hair out of her face. Brooke watched her intently. She noticed rather quickly that there was still a ring on her ring finger.

"Well, I better go and find my spot," Brooke said, awkwardly as she threw her make-up bag inside her purse and made her way to the door.

"See you out there," Peyton said friendlily.

Brooke walked into the gym. The gym had be completely re-done since the last time she had been in there but the decorations from their previous reunion were the exactly the same. She saw one of the pictures that had been the cause of her emotional battle at the previous reunion. The slide show that had been shown the ten year was playing on the stage. Brooke looked around. She recognized a lot of the faces. People that she had thought she would have been friends with for life. Most of the chairs were full or obvious someone had been sitting there, so it didn't take much time for Brooke to find her own seat. Her table was only half-full. Brooke resisted the urge to read who else was sitting at her table. The seating had been an issue at the previous reunion, but she still rather have the surprise of who was sitting at her table-mates. Brooke stood up after a few minutes of sitting down and began scanning the crowd. She settled on the person she was looking for.

"Haley," She said as she tapped her old friend's shoulder.

"Brooke," Haley replied, with a large smile plastered on her face. The pair hugged for a few moments and then parted. "Brooke, I heard about your husband," Haley said solemnly, "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Brooke said. Attempting to avoid the subject of her own love-life she turned to Haley's, "So are you still married?"

"Of course," Haley replied. "Hayden, our eldest, graduated this year."

"Oh my gosh, that's crazy," Brooke said, smirking. "Did she get married before she graduated?"

"No," Haley said, rolling her eyes. "Why does everyone say that?"

"Hmm, let me think," Brooke asked, rhetorically. "I have two daughters now."

"Aw, how old?" asked Haley.

"Kianna is eight and Tatiana is six," Brooke said proudly. "They are in town with me, but they are staying with my parents. But you should meet them."

"I have eight year old twins," Haley said, "They all have to meet. Plus one of the twins is a boy. You must finally get married into the Scott family."

"You had two more kids!" Brooke exclaimed. "You guys are crazy. Five kids, nuts."

"That's what everyone says," said a deeper voice.

"Hi, Nathan," Brooke said as he pulled her into a hug. "And everyone says it because it's true."

"Well, maybe it's slightly crazy but not that crazy. Twelve kids are crazy," Haley said, laughing.

"You are quite possibly right," Brooke said agreeing. "Well, I am going to go and sit down."

"See you in a bit," Haley said.

The lights in the room began dimming. Twinkle lights that had been set up were the wall and ceiling met were beginning to light up. Brooke weaved through the chairs and tables and found her seat again. There were still three empty seats at her table. Brooke sat down on the on the off-white fabric chair. She crossed her legs and let her attention be drawn in by the speaker on-stage. The speaker was Mouth.

"Hi everyone," Mouth said enthusiastically, "I'm Mouth, for all of you who don't remember me. And tonight we are going to focus on everyone. It may take some time to finish this but we all thought that everyone might enjoy hearing a little bit about each of fellow classmates. I know I certainly enjoyed hearing it all." The crowd murmured slightly. "So here we go!"

The lights went down completely. Bright pictures of her classmates in alphabetical order began flashing along the screen and Mouth's pre-recording voice was speaking about each person. Brooke was the most anxious to hear about the old gang. She should be the first to be talked about with the last name Lyon.

"Peyton Jagielski," Mouth's voice echoed through the room.

Brooke let out a small gasp. Peyton and Lucas were no longer together. She began quickly looking around the room. It was too dark. She couldn't see them. Brooke now understood Peyton's friendliness in the bathroom. Peyton had found Jake.

"Peyton lives in Chicago with four children and her husband of four years, Jake, also a form student of THHS. Peyton had one son with her ex-husband, Lucas and two more sons with Jake. Jake's daughter also lives with them. Both Peyton and Jake are with us tonight so don't forget to give them a hello," Mouth's voice said through the room.

Brooke barely listened to the rest of the biographies of her classmates. Her mind was on single thing. Lucas Scott. During his biography it was said that he was supposed to be there tonight. She could not spot him anywhere. Brooke closed her eyes, and let herself calm. Why did she always let him get the best of her? She had broken up with him. They were over. It had been twenty years. She hated him for still being in her heart. And most of all she hated him for not being here.

The night of presentations had ended. The tables were in the process of being pushed back to make a dance floor. Brooke was still out of it. She had to leave. She was going home. Brooke quickly took two small pieces of paper out of her page and scribbled her numbers, email address, house address on both of them. Her heels clicking as she rushes towards Haley and Peyton who are now talking.

"Well, I am off," Brooke said anxiously. "I am going to go and spend some time with my girls. Here you both go." She shoved them each a crumpled piece of paper. "Congratulations with getting Jake, Peyton," Brooke hollered as she left the building.

Peyton and Haley just stood there looking at each other. Neither knew what had come over Brooke.

Brooke got to her car. She flung her bag into the passenger side. Without much control she pulled her car out of the parking lot. She drove along the streets of Tree Hill. Old memories were coming back with great fury. She knew what or who she was looking for; she was just scared to admit it. She finally stopped. She recklessly pulled into a parking spot. Using her rear-view mirror she quickly touched up her make-up. There were streaks of black mascara running down her face. Brooke quickly covered the streaks and grabbed her bag and got out of the car. She looked up at the sign, Karen's Café. She walked up to the door pushed it open.

The room was filled with familiar sights. The most familiar being Karen sitting at the counter. Karen turned, "We're closed." Karen looked the same in the face but she had aged. Her hair was now a silver gray and she had put on some weight. But looking into her eyes, Brooke knew it was the same-old Karen.

"Hey there," Brooke said, already almost crying.

"Brooke?" she asked. Brooke simply nodded. "Hi honey," Karen said as she walked towards her to give her a hug. The two embraced for close to a minute. "What are you doing here?" asked Karen of the duo separated.

"Searching," Brooke said looking down. "And I only sort of know what I am looking for. I think I want it, but I don't know for sure. I might be looking for something I can't have. Or don't really want. But I think I do. I really don't know."

"Looking for him still," Karen said, knowingly. Brooke simply nodded.

"I don't why, I am thirty-eight years old, I have been married, I have kids, why in hell am I looking for my high school sweetheart," Brooke said as she began to break down.

"I think you know why," Karen told her. "Go back to the reunion. Talk to your old friends. Renew your friendship with Peyton. Go back."

"Okay," Brooke said, giving into the older woman's request. "Bye."

"Bye, honey."

Brooke walked back into the gym. Her eyes still were slightly puffy from crying. She looked around. Everyone was on the dance floor. The song ended. Mouth came over, "Want to dance?"

"Sure," Brooke said as Mouth took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. The song was slow. Mouth pulled her into a hug and they began dancing. Both Brooke and Mouth danced in silence. They were both thinking about their friendship in high school, Mouth's almost unhealthy obsession with her, and her liking him, but in the brother way, the friendship of the nerd and the popular girl.

"Are you okay," Mouth asked, breaking the silence.

"A little, I don't even know why I let him upset me like this, when I have only seen him once in the past twenty years, it's not normal," Brooke whined.

"For you guys, it is," Mouth said, attempting to comfort her.

"Aw, thanks Mouth," Brooke said, truly appreciating his attempts. The song ended. A new one began. Their song began. The tears began taking over again. Brooke began running towards the bathroom.

"Brooke, do you want to have this dance?" a voice yelled over the crowd and music. She turned. And there he was. Lucas. With her teary eyes she looked up at him. The pair made eye contact. They had always been able to speak through their eyes. And the both knew after tonight, they wouldn't only be speaking through their eyes.

"Of course," she exclaimed as she walked towards him. Their hands met. And he pulled her onto the dance floor.

The two settled into each others arms. The bodies moved as one. She looked up at him and the same time as he looked down at her. They were in sync. They were them. Tonight was the beginning of them. They both knew, they were now about forever. It was the rebirth of Lucas and Brooke's epic romance.

Really and Truly Complete.

A/N- Here's the end. Review buddies. I like me some reviews.