Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. The story title as well as the chapter titles are taken from the Nickelback song Too Bad, I don't own it either.

Title: Too Bad

Author: ReadingRed

Chapter Two: Left Without Saying Goodbye

Getting all four children in the car had taken a bit of maneuvering. Luke set both Logan and Brennan down in the front seat so he could hold Liam and Bryce while Brooke retrieved the four car seats from her own vehicle. Lucas had offered to do it for her but when she brought up the fact that he had never installed a car seat he relented and let the master do her thing. All in all it didn't take long for Brooke and Luke to load the kids in the car. They had decided to take his instead of hers seeing as hers could be classified as a piece of shit, and that was being kind.

"We can always come back for it" Luke had told her.

"I'm not sure it's even worth the drive back here to get it. I tell you, it costs me more money to keep it running than it did to buy it in the first place." Luke had laughed at that and agreed with her that it might not be worth the trip. With the four children safely in the back seats of Luke's SUV, Liam and Bryce in the middle row, and Brennan and Logan in the third row, Brooke went in the diner one last time to tell her manager that she was quitting and to get her final pay check as well as the two play pins.

When she returned Luke jumped out of the car to help her with the bulky play pins.

"Sorry Brooke, I didn't realize how big these things were. I should've come in and helped you." Luke apologized.

Brooke was quick to correct him. "Luke, it's fine, trust me, I do this all the time. Besides if you had come in with me, who would've watched the kids?"

"I guess" he said. Luke just wanted to make life as easy as possible for Brooke and her children, especially after all that they had been through.

Luke opened the back hatch of the SUV and carefully laid first one, then the other play pin in the back. Closing the hatch Luke went around the passenger side and opened the door for Brooke, helping her to get into the Toyota Sequoia.

"I see you're still as chivalrous as ever Lucas Scott." Brooke said with her patented dimple grin.

"For you, always" Luke said with a grin just as big. He went around the car quickly and hopped into the driver's seat. He had way too much energy for this time of night, at least in Brooke's opinion.

"Where's your house" Luke asked.

"Why?" Brooke questioned in return.

"So we can go pick up your stuff and the kids' stuff."

Brooke was silent for a moment after that. "Luke" she said finally. "There's nothing to go back for. The kids don't have much and I have even less. I don't want to chance Julian being home and catching us just for the sake of a handful of toys and a few changes of clothes."

Luke let it sink in what she was saying.

"So we go home to Tree Hill?" he asked, wanting to make absolutely sure that this was what she wanted.

Lucas thought that he has seen her smile before but the one that graced her face after that question was like any other he had ever seen.

"Yes, please, more than anything I want to go home."

"Let's do it then." Luke said as he started the SUV. He backed out of his parking spot and soon enough he and Brooke were leaving the Main Street Diner for the last time.

He knew that they were going about this all wrong. They should be calling the police, filing a restraining order, getting custody of the four children transferred solely to Brooke. But none of that matter to Luke in that moment. All he wanted was to get Brooke and the babies out of danger. He wasn't going to let them spend if one more second in a situation where they might get hurt.

As the different issues came to his mind one name surfaced, the name of his lawyer.

"Brooke, I think we should call my lawyer. He can help. We need to make sure that he won't be able to sue you for custody."

The look on Brooke's face was that of pure terror when he mentioned Julian getting custody of her kids.

"Luke, I won't let him have them. Logan, Brennan, Liam, and Bryce, they're the reasons I'm doing this. I want to get them away from him. There's no way in hell I'm going to let that bastard spend one more second with my babies. If you think your lawyer can help then please, call him." The terror had left Brooke's eyes and in its place was resolve. Luke knew that come hell or high water, Brooke was going to keep her promise.

"Okay then, I'll call him in the morning. He isn't a custody lawyer but I think he'll be able to help. He's great at his job." Luke felt happy that finally he was able to do something to truly help, even if it was just putting her in touch with one of North Carolina's best lawyers.

After they got that settled Brooke seemed more calm than ever. All four kids were asleep in the back and once she was sure they weren't going to wake up any time soon, Brooke decided to get some sleep as well. She slept well for the first time in three years.

AN: Okay so this was just a filler chapter. I really just wanted to add another chapter so I could put this AN and say that there are now pictures of Brooke's kids in my profile. So enjoy, and don't forget to leave a note and tell me what you think. Feel free to tell me what you think of the kids too.