A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews. Glad most of you readers loved the baby's name.

Chapter Thirty One

What Could Have Been

As soon as Brooke entered the foyer, her friends gathered around to see the sleeping baby in the carrier. After several days in the NICU, Dr. Copeland believed Mackenzie was strong enough to go home. Brooke couldn't believe it. Her baby sister was finally coming home. Lucas offered to take her to the hospital to pick her up and bring her home to the awaiting family and friends.

Karen encouraged them to give her some room as the baby was brought into the living room. Besides Haley, Lucas and Karen, she hadn't told anyone her sister's name yet. Lily was really looking forward to hear what her new friend's name would be.

When everyone had quieted down, Brooke knew it was the perfect moment. She smiled proudly as she carefully took her little sister out of her carrier and held her in her arms. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my little sister, Mackenzie Faith Davis."

There were compliments as Lucas turned to his parents. "I really hope this doesn't give you two any ideas. Our house is full enough."

His parents laughed before his father spoke. "No, we're not planning on having any more kids. As much as Lily here wants another brother or sister, it's not happening," he assured his son. "However, there is an announcement your mother and I would like to make." Their children looked a little worried. Even Brooke was curious to hear what they were going to say. "Next year is going to be our twentieth wedding anniversary and we have decided to renew our vows."

"What does that mean?" Lily asked.

As her mother gently explained about vow renewal, the doorbell rang. Brooke told the nearest person to answer it. Millie was the one who had opened the door and showed the visitor to the living room. To Brooke's surprise, it was her mother. Brooke carefully handed the baby over to Karen before she made her way through the sea of her friends and went over to Victoria. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" Victoria asked. Brooke nodded and she led her into the kitchen. There was silence and Victoria took a deep breath before she spoke. "I have a confession to make. I was the one who confronted your father and demand he take responsibility for his newest daughter." She didn't wait for a response from her daughter. "I was only looking after you. I know you love your sister, but I didn't want you to be tied down with a family so soon, not when you were so close to graduating high school and going off to college. I had no idea he was going to go through with the adoption, but it just goes to show you that he will never change."

To her surprise, Brooke wasn't angry. "It's okay. I know you were just trying to help, but I wasn't planning to go to college anyway. I'm going to work at the café for awhile and save my money for Mackenzie." Victoria gave her a confused look before she realized it was the baby's name. "I'm planning to find an apartment for the two of us as soon as I get settled in a schedule with her."

Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You're planning to move into an apartment with the baby?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I can't stay here with Keith and Karen for eighteen more years. I know they are my family, but I want to prove to myself I can take care of my little sister." She didn't let her mother protest. "I know I'm only sixteen and still a minor, but Mackenzie needs me."

Victoria gave her a smile. "I know she does and I'll support you in doing this. It won't be easy taking care of the baby while you're still in high school or even after you graduate, but I have faith in you."

Brooke returned the smile. "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you." There was an awkward silence before she spoke. "I should probably get back in there. You're welcome to stay."

Victoria was grateful for the invitation. "That's sweet of you, but this party is for you and your friends. I would be just intruding. I should be going anyway. I have some things to take care of. I want to make sure the court judge knows how much we have suffered thanks to your so called father." Brooke realized she was talking about the divorce. The yearlong separation was almost over and her mother could now finally work on being free from Richard forever. She didn't have a chance to respond as Victoria gave her a goodbye kiss. "I love you. I'll see you later."

Brooke remained where she was as she heard the front door open and close. Her thoughts took off on her parents and Keith and Karen. Her parents were getting a divorce while Keith and Karen were planning on celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary next year. It was amazing how life worked out.

She heard Lucas's voice calling her, snapping her out of it. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked her. She could only nod her head as she returned to the living room to her friends. Lucas knew something was bothering her, but it wasn't the right time to ask her about it.

After the party was over, Brooke hung out in the nursery watching Mackenzie sleep. Eventually, she emerged from the room. Lucas could still see she was distracted and followed her outside to the front steps. "What's up?" he asked her as he joined her.

Brooke was quiet for a moment. She was ready for someone to listen to her problems. "My mother has decided to file divorce from my dad," she announced. It had been on her mind all day, but saying it out loud made it real. Her parents really weren't going to be together anymore.

She let out a heavy sigh. "I was expecting it, but it still hurts that we can't be a family like yours. Or Haley's. Of course, I never had the loving family I wanted. They were always fighting. Even when I was little, they never could get along. Maybe that's why I never had a real relationship: I didn't believe I was good enough to be someone's girlfriend because how my parents were."

Lucas gave her a look. "That's not true, Brooke Davis and you know it. I know my parents have been married for almost twenty years, but that doesn't mean they haven't had their share of problems. Like the Cooper drama. And I'm sure Haley's parents aren't perfect either. Neither am I. After all, I slept with Lindsay and got married to her because we thought she was pregnant."

Brooke was grateful he was trying to comfort her, but he was missing her point. "But you have a close relationship with your parents. You were able to talk to them about your feelings. You were able to go on school field trips with them. Do you know why your parents were able to be involved? Because they wanted to be with you or Nathan or Lily. I never had that experience until after my parents separated. And now I wish I had because everything would be different."

"I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way when I married Lindsay," Lucas told her. "And I wish I didn't go after Ian, but I'm glad I did. I didn't want him get away with what he did to you. And I knew if I hadn't, he would come back for you. Now he's dead and we don't have to worry about him anymore. And if your parents would have been the happy couple, you probably wouldn't have had the chance to get to know your baby sister. And you might not have wanted to stay in Tree Hill."

Brooke interrupted him there. "No, I still would have fought to stay in Tree Hill. It's my home and there's nowhere else on earth I would want to raise my family. Or my baby sister. Despite all the crap I have gone through with my parents and Ian, I still love this place." Lucas just nodded understandingly. "Well, I should probably check on the baby." She got up and returned into the house.

However, Lucas stayed where he was. He heard another pair of footsteps and knew it was Nathan. It was confirmed when his twin joined him. "You were really talking about us when you were talking about all past mistakes, weren't you?" Nathan asked him, referring to the night they had gone after Ian and had that car accident.

"Returning to Charlotte won't solve your problems, Nate," Lucas told him. "I know this year hasn't been the best year for us, but I think we should stick it out. Besides, we wouldn't fit in with our old friends anymore because we made our home here. Why can't you see that?"

"I've decided not to go back to Charlotte." Lucas was surprised his brother didn't mention it to him earlier. "I'm going to visit Julian and Rachel for awhile. They invited Alex and she wanted to go, but Aunt Deb didn't want her to go there alone. So I volunteered to go along as chaperone. I also want to get to know Julian and Alex since they are our cousins."

Lucas couldn't blame him there. He also wanted to get to know his cousins more now they were back in their lives. However, he only had one question for his brother. "Are you going to be back for our senior year?"

"Yeah, I'll be able to see Haley then," Nathan replied. Lucas realized he wanted to leave because he wanted to get over his breakup with Haley without seeing her face every day. "I don't think I could graduate without my brother or friends." Lucas was glad to hear it. He couldn't imagine graduating without his brother by his side. "Are you in the mood to play some basketball at the River Court?" Lucas was up for the challenge and followed his brother towards the car.

Over the next few days, Brooke and the Scott family adjusted to having a little baby in the house again. Each of them took turns getting up and feeding Mackenzie during the night. Brooke was grateful both Lucas and Nathan were willing to check on the baby. She loved watching Lucas bond with Mackenzie. He was always talking to her and rocking her to sleep. She knew he would make a great father someday.

Only Lily wasn't in the mood to get up and attend to the baby. Yet, she never complained and helped out during the day. Her parents believed it was the hope Brooke and Mackenzie wouldn't move out. They couldn't blame her. They loved having Brooke and the baby around the house.

However, Brooke wasn't giving up on her plan to find a two bedroom apartment for her and Mackenzie. After realizing she wasn't prepared to live on her own with a baby and paying rent by herself, she decided to hold off on the plan of moving out for a few years. To her delight, Haley came to the rescue.

"My parents have decided to take a cross country trip in their new RV for the summer, but there's also a chance it will be longer than that," Haley told Brooke. They were hanging out at the café while Karen watched the baby. "They love traveling and they have been putting this trip off for years. They've been waiting until all of the kids have left the nest. Even though I'm not out of the house yet, they think it's the perfect time to take off. I would rather live with you than live by myself."

Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "I would love for us to be roommates, but are you sure you want to move in with me? After all, it isn't just me. Mackenzie is going to be with me."

Haley gave her a look. "Brooke, we've been best friends since kindergarten. We've always been there for each other. I would want to be your roommate even if you didn't have Mackenzie. Now are you going to let me move in with you and Mackenzie or do I have to beg?"

Brooke laughed. "I don't think that would be necessary. When do you think you can pack up and move in?"

Haley just gave her a smile as they heard the bell chiming, signaling someone had entered the café. The girls turned to see the Scott brothers and their friends helping themselves to the snacks that Karen had left out for them on the counter. Brooke noticed how Nathan was avoiding looking their way while Lucas, Skills, Mouth and Jake acknowledged them.

Mouth came over to join them. "I don't suppose you heard about Millie." Brooke and Haley looked at him confused. "Deb is planning to sell your old house and move her family in a smaller house. I guess she finally got tired of being in a big house alone. She thought about giving the house back to you, but she didn't know whether you wanted it back with all those memories of inattentive parents and loneliness."

"I always loved that house," Brooke admitted. "It deserved better. It deserved a family."

"Then why don't you make it your home again?" Lucas suggested as he joined them. He couldn't help overhearing their conversation. "You can start all over and show Mackenzie what it is really like to live with a loving family."

Brooke knew he had a point. She did want to show her baby sister what it was like to be loved unconditionally, but she never thought it would be in her old house. She turned to Haley for help. Haley just gave her an encouraging smile to show she supported her decision in moving in the old house. Brooke nodded in agreement. She had made her decision and she had a feeling she wasn't going to regret it.