Author's note: hey guys, I am really very very veryyy sorry for updating the story soooo late. My exam date got pushed forward and exam which was supposed to happen a month later was scheduled for today. I just didn't have enough time to prepare for the exam and write the next chapter along with that. But I took my exam today and now that my exams are finally over (hurray!), I sat five hours straight and completed this chapter for you all. And I love you all for being so patient with me, now I'll try to update as regularly as possible.

Hope you'll enjoy reading it. Do review and let me know how your thoughts about it.

P. S. thank you so much K-pixy, dianehermans and . Your wishes really worked. I think I kicked some serious ass today during the viva...lol

Now enough bragging that let's jump straight to the story!

Lucas sat in Brooke's living room couch, his leg shaking in an involuntary anxious movement. A couple of days after there discussion in Brooke's shop, they had finally decided to tell Abby about him this evening. The more the time approached the more nervous he was.

"Umm… You want something? Water.. Coffee… Ummm.. Green tea?" Brooke asked uncomfortably trying to ease out the atmosphere.

"huh? No thanks" answered Lucas absentmindedly, falling silent again… .

"Umm.. Abby wanted to go out with Haley and Jamie… uhh...so … do you know what you're going to say? I mean…. You have written some speech or something?" Brooke asked, feeling nervous herself.

"Yeah! Right a speech… to tell my daughter that I am her father who has been missing all her life." he snapped at her.

"How does one prepare themselves for that conversation,Brooke" he scoffed.

Brooke hated the pain in his eyes and felt guilty for causing it. She opened her mouth to say something and them closed it, not really knowing what to say.

"God! I hate you so much! If not for Abby, I don't know if I even want to see your face right now." said Lucas, losing his temper.

She was hurt, maybe too hurt for her liking. All these years she had felt a lot of things for Lucas, she had been angry, disappointed, hurt and at a point she even thought she felt indifferent, but never in all these years she hated him. She could never hate him. Hearing him say he hated her did hurt, but she was never going to show that. One thing she had mastered in all these years was her poker face. She was always good at it, but Lucas could somehow read her, but it had been ages and she was sure things had changed too much. He had changed too much.

"And this is the face of someone who cares." Brooke finally spoke, pointing towards her poker face.

"when did you become such a bitch?" Lucas hissed that her. He felt terrible for saying he hated her, but what felt more terrible was it didn't affect her even the slightest bit.

"Right when you became and ass!" Brooke scoffed.

"You know—" Lucas was interrupted by the turning of the door knob and Haley entered with Abby and Jamie.

"Ah ! My favorite people are back!" Brooke quickly greeted them pasting a smile on her face.

"Hey auntie Brooke! Hi uncle Lucas" Jamie beamed and ran to Lucas and sat on his lap.

"sup J. Luke" Lucas chuckled.

"uncle?" Abby asked, squinting her eyes in confusion.

"yeah!" Jamie answered as if it as so obvious.

"Hi Luke" Haley said nervously.

"hi" Lucas answered in a flat tone.

"Jamie, come on honey we need to go." Haley called, not wanting to intrude in the conversation which was going to take place.

"I think you should stay" Brooke said, making both Haley and Lucas' head snap towards her.

"Brooke, I don't think I should.."

Brooke shook her head "you should, you are family and Abby's godmother." Brooke said smiling a little at her.

"and Jamie will know it sooner or later. So I think we should tell them together." she said looking at Lucas.

Haley looked from Brooke to Lucas uncomfortably. She knew Lucas was mad at her, he had the right to be and wasn't sure if he wanted her here.

"Abby, baby come here." Brooke called her little girl who was brooding like her father, thoroughly confused by the conversation between the adults.

-x-

Brooke fidgeted with the hem of her dress and she saw her little girl sitting in front of her at looking at her with confusion.

"I don't understand Mommy…. Mr. Scott is my daddy?"

Lucas looked at her in nervousness. He dreaded her reaction, what if she didn't want him as her dad, what if she hated her? During the whole conversation he opened his mouth several times and closed it, really not able to form word, he didn't know how to handle this situation. He had asserted it on Brooke that he wanted Abby to know that he was her father, but when the time came he had no idea what to say, yet again he was rendered speechless by this woman sitting in front of him, Brooke was had the power to leave him speechless.

Seeing how hopeless Lucas had been in the whole situation, Brooke had taken the matters into her hands and explained to Abby that Lucas was her father, but as Brooke always said, she was too intelligent for her own good, Abby looked at her with eyes filled with numerous questions.

"Yes baby. Lucas is your daddy and how cool is that right? He is already your friend, you told me didn't you?" she smiled at her.

"but I don't have a daddy" she squinted looking at Lucas and then back at her mother. Lucas' heart broke a little hearing that and Brooke sighed sadly.

"Honey remember Tina said everyone has a daddy?" Abby nodded and Haley and Lucas looked at Brooke with confused eyes.

"Tina is her 12 years old friend" she explained the confused adult. A year ago, the curious Tina had told Abby that no one can be born with a daddy and then Brooke had to painstakingly sit down and explain Abby about it.

"so, like she said everyone has a daddy, Lucas is yours" she said slowly hoping Abby won't ask anymore Questions.

"you are really my daddy?" Abby questioned Lucas who was startled by the sudden attention and nodded.

"Yes I am your daddy" he smiled nervously swallowing the knot in his throat

"then why didn't you tell me?" Abby squinted at him.

Lucas fumbled. What was he supposed to say? That her mother didn't tell him about her? How do you explain that to a child. He wiped his forehead nervously.

Brooke quickly jumped into the conversation.

"because we wanted to surprise you!" Brooke said overzealously.

Abby looked at both of them and then looked at Jamie who looked equally confused.

"where were you? Why weren't you here with me, uncle Nathan is always with Jamie. I don't have any baby pictures with you. Jamie has so many with, uncle Nathan."

Lucas sighed sadly and smiled at her.

"I am sorry… we can click many picture now?" it came out as a question.

"Brooke pulled Abby on her lap and kissed her head.

"honey, your daddy was writing so many books and for that he had to go to many places he couldn't stay here. He wanted to write many books, you love books, so he wanted to make you proud of himself. You love his book don't you?" Brooke said defending Lucas. She knew it was her doing that he was sitting here helplessly and it was the only right thing to do.

The mention of books brought back the sparkle in Abby's eyes.

"Really?" she asked with amazement.

Brooke nodded enthusiastically. Abby looked at Lucas and he nodded meekly too. Abby jumped from her mother's lap and went to Lucas.

"Wow! How cool is that!.. I am very proud of you daddy " she beamed hugging him tightly.

Lucas was startled by the sudden hug. She had called him daddy for the first time, his little girl called him daddy. He hugged her back pulling her to his lap and felt tears burning his eyes. He looked at Brooke and mouthed her a thank you and she nodded dashing away a tear from her eyes.

Haley let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding and she wiped the corner of her eyes with the back of her hands. She had imagined this day for as long as she knew about Abby. She was so happy for Lucas that he finally found out about his daughter. He sure hated her now but it didn't matter as long as he found his family, his little girl she was happy.

"wait a second!" said Jamie drawing everyone's attention.

"does that mean Abby is my cousin? I mean very real cousin?"

All the adults chuckled.

"Yes little man Abby is your very real cousin" laughed Brooke.

"how cool is that little sister" he said hugging Abby. Haley and Brooke awed at the little ones hugging happily where as Lucas still looked shocked.

A week ago he didn't know he had a daughter. Now he had a daughter, who knows about him and accepts him and Jamie found it cool too. Lucas of freaking out…. Seriously freaking out!

-x-

Lucas had been spending a lot of time with Abby for the past two weeks. Brooke had avoided being there. One reason being she wanted them to spend some time alone and build a relationship, and the second being she didn't want to see him, Not after he said he hated her. She was happy with her decision to let Abby know about Lucas, Abby had been on cloud nine since that day. How much she loved having a daddy and they looked really cute together. Brooke was relieved that Abby had accepted him so easily, but somewhere she feared it too, somewhere in the back of her mind there was this fear of losing Abby to Lucas. She knew it was an unreasonable fear, but a fear nonetheless.

She sat in her office calling Haley and making plans for the upcoming spring break for the kids. She sighed ending the call. She had heard the sadness in Haley's voice when Lucas was mentioned. Lucas hadn't spoken to Haley and Nathan yet. She felt guilty that she had put Haley and Nathan in such an awkward position. That was the sole reason why Brooke hadn't kept contact with Haley after she left tree hill. She never wanted to strain anyone's relationship, but she just didn't want Lucas to know that that time and she still wasn't sorry about that decision. But she was definitely sorry for the rift between the friends.

-x-

Lucas sat with Abby watching her eat her sundae. He couldn't believe how much he loved his little girl. It was strange how one could love someone so suddenly, maybe that's what being a parent means. He looked at Abby and saw so much of Brooke in her. He missed Brooke. He sighed sadly thinking about her. He felt guilty about the argument they had that day. Brooke had helped him with Abby even after his harsh words. If not for Brooke, he wasn't sure if he would have known how to start the conversation. A small part of him had thought that spending time with Abby would give him some time with Brooke too, but he had hardly seen her. He saw her just a few times in two the past few weeks, that too just when he was picking up Abby or dropping her. Mostly it was Millicent who would meet them on the door and drop Abby to his hotel or the Cafe where he had an event. But nonetheless he was happy to be spending time with Abby. His daughter!

-x-

Millie opened the door and found Lucas standing there and she smiled at him. She had liked Lucas and she loved how happy Abby was with him.

"Hey Mille" Lucas smiled. He liked her. She was sweet. She was a little shy but she had always been kind to him, unlike Neal whom he met once after their talk with Abby, who didn't look very pleased with him.

"Hi Lucas come on in" she moved aside to let him enter.

Brooke came out looking flawless in an emerald green body hugging gown, putting on her gold earrings. Lucas' breath caught in his throat at how beautiful she looked. Who could say she was a mother of a six year old. If anything she had become more beautiful, sexier if he dare say. Motherhood agreed with her, she had become curvier, and her dress accentuated her curves beautifully.

He realised he was gawking at her and he swallowed hard and lowered his eyes.

"Hi, I'm sorry are you guys going somewhere. Actually I was free and I was just nearby, so I thought I could spend some time with Abby." he rambled, feeling he was imposing on them at a wrong time.

"oh no it's fine. I'm just going for a charity event. Millie is babysitting Abby." she said turning around pretending to search something, to hide her blush when she found him gawking. It confused her.

"Oh! Millie can go home if she wants. I can stay with Abby" he shrugged.

Brooke turned to look at him and she looked at Millie uncomfortably.

"I'll stay too if you don't mind. I love spending time with Abby and it's been too long Abby and I haven't had you movie night." she said to Lucas.

"of course! She loves you. I hope you'll let me crash your movie night" he chuckled.

Millie and Brooke shared a look and Brooke thanked her with her eyes for handling the situation.

Soon Neal was on the door to pick up Brooke. Both the men nodded to acknowledge each other's presence before Brooke kissed Abby and lectured her to be good for Millie and Lucas and left with him. Millie notice something flicker through Lucas' eyes as he saw Brooke leaving, something she felt was jealousy. Was he jealous? Mille wondered.

-x-

Lucas, Abby and Millie sat in the entertainment room watching princess movies. It was funny how Abby always said she doesn't like reading fairy tales but whenever picking up a movie, it was always a princess movie which would want to watch, or Nemo.

"Can I ask you something?" Lucas said when they were in kitchen making more popcorn and pouring some more juice.

"yeah sure" Millie furrowed her brows at his unsure tone.

"Umm… That day… When we first met, on the elevator, you said my name as if you knew me"

It wasn't really a question but Millie knew what he meant and she smiled.

"Well, I have known Brooke for six years. We met a the café we worked in" she informed him

"Brooke worked at a Cafe?" Lucas raised his eyebrows, his tone unmistakably of surprise making Millie chuckle.

"yeah when she shifted here, she had clothes over bros website which earned her more than enough for a teenager's daily expenses and stuff but being pregnant meant extra expenses like doctor's bills, tests, sonograms and stuff. She didn't trust fund till she graduated high school, so she worked part time in a cafe after school where I worked became friends, shared an apartment, when she formed a company, she gave me a job even though the only thing I had experience in was waiting tables. I am her friend, personal assistant and now the manager of her headquarter. So have been in her life long enough to know about you Lucas." she smiled.

Lucas was baffled by the information.

"I thought she lived with her parents" he said in total shock.

"Bitchtoria?" Millie scoffed.

"I think she did for a while but I don't much about it. She doesn't talk about it. All I know is Victoria is an evil bitch. She reconciled with Brooke few years ago when her company started becoming famous. Brooke being sweet as she is welcomed her back in her life. But Victoria being the bitch she is tried to sabotage her career and brooke had almost signed off her company to Victoria . It was when she tried to convince Brooke to give Abby up for adoption, that's when Brooke stood up against her. She threw her out of the company, out of her home and put of her life."

One could hear the hatred in Millie's voice. Millie was a very sweet person and she hating someone was a huge deal.

Lucas had never met Victoria but had heard of her from Brooke and always thought Brooke being the all dramatical, was over exaggerating everything. But hearing it from Millie and hearing that she suggested giving up Abby, his blood boiled. At that moment he hated her more than anyone he had ever everything, how Brooke worked double jobs, extra shifts with school and during pregnancy, his heart ached. He wished Brooke had given him the chance to help her. He was seeing Brooke in a new light, he felt maybe he was judging Brooke too harshly, maybe there was more to what she did than what met his eyes.

-x-

Lucas had put Abby to bed and after a while Millicent went to bed too. He sat in the living room reading a novel when Brooke got back home.

"oh hi, you are still awake" she said, surprised to find him awake at 2 a.m.

"yeah, wasn't really sleepy. Was waiting for you to return. Do you always party this late" he asked seeing the time and immediately regretting the judgemental tone in his voice she saw Brooke's shoulders going stiff.

"it wasn't a party Lucas. It was a work thing,a charity event and I had a speech there so couldn't just skip it." she said in a cold tone, hating that she was even giving him a explanation.

"I'm sorry! It came out wrong, I didn't mean it that ways. I meant…. Ummm anyways I am sorry. I'll just leave. Millie has gone to sleep and thank you for letting me spend some time with Abby here."

Brooke sighed relaxing her stance.

"it's really late, you can sleep here tonight if you want." she suggested.

"uh… I don't want to impose on you. I know you weren't every comfortable in the evening when I showed up unannounced. I'm really sorry for that. I don't know what I was thinking. But now that I know my daughter it's like I just don't want to waste anymore time." he said sadly realizing how much he had already missed.

"it's alright Lucas I understand and no you won't be imposing. You should stay. Abby would be happy to see you in the morning." she smiled her first genuine smile at him and he felt a strange sort of relief wash over him first time in a long time.

"I'll just change the sheets in the other guest room" she said pulling her hair up in a messy bun.

"how many rooms do you have?" he chuckled and Brooke shook her head.

The grand foyer and her living room her entertainment room was all Lucas had seen and now he really wondered how big was this house?

-x-

As Brooke changed the sheets of the guest room she felt a flutter in her stomach. She wondered what had got into her when she asked him to stay. Well, it was late and it was the polite thing to ask him to stay, she reasoned with herself. But then again this wasn't tree hill where there wouldn't be a soul on the roads at 2 am. It was new york, a city which never slept, he could have easily got a cab even at this time.

She pushed back all her thoughts as she saw Lucas coming out of the ensuite washroom, shirtless. She swallowed hard at the sight. Lucas always had a rock solid body, but now he had definitely become muscular, must be spending a lot of time in the gym she thought. His shoulders, broad, his every muscle ripped, and with those set of blue eyes and blonde hair she looked like some Greek God.

"Oh sorry I thought you must have left" he said looking for his t-shirt.

"Nothing I haven't seen" she muttered almost inaudible but Lucas heard her.

"And Brooke Davis is back" Lucas chuckled earning an eye roll and a smile from Brooke.

-x-

Brooke had changed into her pj's and strangely she wasn't sleepy or was she tired. She was in the kitchen when she heard footsteps.

"I am sorry, but I smelled coffee and I couldn't stay up anymore in the room." Lucas smiled apologetically and Brooke laugh.

"Karen's cafe made me a coffee addict long back in high school." she said handing him a cup of coffee.

"now I crave coffee at weird times. Spending nine pregnant months without coffee was a torture." she chuckled.

"shit!" Lucas exclaimed all of a sudden making Brooke jump a little.

"I didn't tell mom about Abby yet. Damn it! Now that's another weird conversation due." he said, wondering how could he break this news to his mother.

"Umm… she knows" Brooke said, not looking up from her coffee.

"what do you mean" Lucas squinted at her, wondering if he heard her wrong.

"well, I had business studies as a subject in college. Andy was a guest lecturer." she said slowly looking up at him and seeing his features turning hard again.

"Karen and Lily were here with him. We met after school. Karen met Abby. I never told her that Abby is yours, but you know how Karen is, she knows everything without saying. We have never spoke about it she never asked and I never told her, but I think she knows." she rambled knowing how bad this sounded that his mom might have already known and had met his daughter before he even knew about her.

"who else knows Brooke? Tell me already. I don't like getting these news in installments. Haley, Nathan, mom, Andy , Rachel, who else. Everyone lied to me saying they didn't know where you were and six year later everyone is here, being a part of my daughter's life when I didn't even know about her existence. Did everyone know about my daughter other than me? No one bothered to tell me. I mean Rachel I understand, she was never my friend, but Haley Nathan and My mom? I mean my own mother hid my daughter from me?" he asked in a frustrated tone.

"Lucas I never planned on anyone knowing. Meeting Andy and Karen was a coincidence and we only met once in all these years. I never ever said anything about Abby being your daughter and in fact I told Karen a false story about some guy. Andy believed it but I don't think Karen did. But then again when I never confirmed it how could she just tell you about it and I don't suppose you and Karen ever talk about me because I'm sure if you did Karen would have told you she met me and my daughter. She had always been not only a great mother an equally great friend to you. So please don't blame her. And when you tell her about Abby I'm sure it will still be a news to her, maybe just the blow won't be that hard." she explained and he sighed and all the sudden complications in his life.

"guess you are right. Maybe I'll call her tomorrow " he was guilty of not calling her and talking to her enough. Maybe she really didn't know Abby was his. But then again who was he kidding. She was Karen Roe! and Karen Roe knew everything!

"and about Haley" she continued seeing his mood improving a bit

"I don't want to talk about Haley!" Lucas said through gritted teeth.

"but I want to! Haley walked into my showroom one day and confronted me. Again, she had no idea I was in New York. It was just because I had a store here, that she finally found me. I had threatened her to not tell anyone or else I wouldn't keep contact with her. We have never spoken about you being Abby's father but she knew because it was obvious because Jamie and Abby are of the same age, but I have never spoken about it openly. You were the first person to know about it trust me. People might have guessed but I never told anyone."

"that doesn't make it better" he scoffed.

"I know it doesn't" she sighed.

"but don't blame Haley and Nathan for my doings. I had put her in a very awkward position. She was just trying to be a good friend. She had hidden it from Nathan too. It's just when they shifted to Jersey six months back, that's when Nathan found out about me and Abby."

Lucas couldn't believe Haley had hidden something for so long from Nathan. Nathan and Haley had always been so truthful to each other about the smallest of things.

"please talk to her. She is your best friend and she misses you more than she would like you to admit. And I know you miss her too. This is already a really hard time for her, Nathan being here and she being there. You know how they are, living apart is difficult for them, please don't giver her a hard time. Please talk to her." she was almost begging.

She felt really sorry for the strain that her secret had caused their friendship. Haley had always been a good friend, she had helped her keep her secret and now Brooke wanted to do everything in her power to help her.

Lucas sat silently taking in all the words. He raked his hands on his face. There was so much going on in his brain that he didn't know what do say and what to do.

"I think I need some time to process all the new information." he said sliding off the kitchen stool and walked towards the room Brooke had offered him.

"hmm I understand. Good night" Brooke said softly.

"yeah… night"

-xx-