[bLucas, Brooke, Nathan and Haley all currently live in Tree Hill. Haley was never pregnant. Peyton left after graduation to become an artist, and broke things off with Luke, after they fought about the distance. She left without saying goodbye to Brooke and Nate and Haley. She visited a few times, but then her fathered moved to New York, so it's 5 years since graduation, 3 years since her last visit. Now she's back. Haley is currently touring in Detroit and surrounding areas. Nathan is living alone in an apartment near Tree Hill High. Both him and Lucas coach the Ravens, Peyton is an artist for an editorial art magazine. Brooke owns her own fashion clothing store.[/b

…ring…ring…ring
Nathan sighed as he pushed the phone from his mouth at the busy tone.
"Hey Hales, it's Nathan...I guess I just miss you. I was hoping we could talk, I was thinking of maybe coming out for your show next weekend. Well I guess we'll see. So give me a call when you got a minute. I love you, buh-bye." He sighed the second time in a row.
"Nate! Get back in here. Remember I gotta' cut out early because I'm meeting Brooke." Lucas shouted from the gym.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming, I was just calling Hales."
"Oh yeah, what'd she say? How's her tour going?" Lucas said directing his attention away from the gym full of after-school practice.
"Uhh, I got the machine. She must be busy or something, but she'll call me back." He said unassuringly. Lucas stared at him for a moment, biting his lip lightly.
"I'm sorry man."
"Nah don't be." He began a light jog back into the gym.
"Alright, co-coach. I'll talk to you later man." Lucas said as he swung his duffle bag over his shoulder, waved with his back turned, and pushed open the gym door.
"Alright guys, let's get running some laps." Nathan's voice faded.

"Hey Luke!" Brooke said as she stomped over to Lucas' car in the Tree Hill High parking lot. She poked her head into his window with her keys and cell phone in hand, "You ready for this?"
Luke smiled and rubbed the back of his head while Brooke swung around into the front seat.
As they approached Tree Hill hotel Lucas looked jittery.
"Hey, come on Luke", she rubbed his shoulder; "I'm here okay."
He smiled, "Alright, let's go."
After a tedious conversation with the lobby receptionist they arrived at Peyton's room.
Knock, knock!
As Peyton opened the door she peered over her shoulder. She had her keys and luggage packed, and appeared to be ready to leave.
"I thought you were here all week?" Brooke said kindly.
"Yeah well that's before I thought all my friends would turn their backs on me and refuse my calls and visits. Whatever Brooke, you won. That's right, you guys won. Your free to be together, or be whoever you want, and I don't even know why I expected you to be here when I get back," her eyes watered, "I guess when I heard you say that you wouldn't be here I always thought you would, and I knew that when I was ready to come back you guys would be here. I was wrong, and maybe it's all my fault, and I can't change it, I guess it wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect to be instantly forgiving, no, I didn't, no, I just wanted a chance to explain where my head and my heart where. But, I understand, okay. I'm on my way out right now. So I guess Brooke, this is good bye, and Luke I guess this is probably goodbye for good too." Peyton pulled her luggage behind her and left the door open behind her. She sobbed as she tumbled through the halls.
"Luke I'm so sorry," Brooke said as she reached for his hand. Before she found it, Lucas took off down the hall.
"Peyton! Wait!" He hurried towards her. She spun around, her eyes were hopeful. "I said I wouldn't be here, and I was mad when I said that, and I…"
Brooke's eyes drooped. She pushed her weight onto her back foot and peered further up the hall. She forced herself down the elevator, and back to Luke's car.
"Peyton, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you think that you deserve another chance, because you don't. But don't go. Don't leave because of this. Visit Nathan and my Mom, and Deb and everyone who misses you." Lucas said convincingly.
"Luke I don't want to fight with you, please. You don't have to hear me out, just tell me your happy i'm here. Say you missed me and that we can be friends again. Say you'll call me when I leave, say you'll visit."
"I don't want to fight, and I did miss you, but Peyton, come on.." Lucas said painfully realistically.
"You and Brooke…are you guys-" Peyton asked.
"No. We're uh, not together. We weren't, not since you left. Just friends," Lucas said.
"Oh, okay. Well, I think I am going to see Nathan before I leave. I'll probably go and get a bite to eat, and than see him. You can tag along if you want," Peyton spoke cheerfully, smiling 6000 watts.
"You really should see him, but i'm going to go now. I'm happy that you came.."
"You are?"
"Loose ends, I guess. See you around." He turned around. For once, he wasn't bitter. He smiled his first real smile. Than he realized that Brooke wasn't behind him anymore. He looked around for a minute, and figured she was upset that Peyton was leaving and said those things about her. He jogged lightly down to his car.
He ran around to the passenger side and opened Brookes door. He sunk to the floor, balancing lowly on his feet. "Brooke, i'm sorry, are you okay?"
"Yeah, i'm fine," she said with tears in her eyes, "what happened?"
"I think it was closure. I'm not sure yet."
"Well are you going to see her again?" Brooke asked not making eye contact.
"That's kind of up to her right now." He grazed his finger across Brooke's cheek, missing a streaming tear by a second. He got to his feet, and scurried to the driver's side. He got in, and plugged the key into the ignition.
"It usually is", Brooke spoke under her breath.
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Hey, I was going to ask you, has Nathan heard from Haley?" Brooke said, changing the subject.
"No, man, she hasn't returned his call. I feel like Deja-Vu, you know? Like this all happened before. I mean like the stuff with Haley and Chris, and Nathan being really off lately, and with this girlfriend drama…" Brooke rolled her eyes, "Wait no, Brooke. I didn't mean it like that,. I just.." Lucas knew he used the wrong words to describe they're previous year's relationship.
"Lucas, i'm not mad. I don't have feelings for you anymore, so you can call what we had whatever you want. But my car is only a few blocks away, so i'm going to walk. Thanks for meeting me. See you later." Brooke abruptly sprung out of Lucas's vehicle, and clicked her heels down the road.
Lucas sighed. "What was that" he said outloud.

Nathan had just left the school after working on plays till around 7pm. He dropped his keys onto the kitchen island, and sat down on the nearest stool. He played around with a beaded string hanging from a glass vase that Haley sat out. The doorbell rang.
"Oh hey Brooke, what's up?" Nathan said a little surprised.
"Nathan look, I heard about what's going on between you and Haley, and I wanted to drop by to let you know i'm here for you Nate." She spoke softly, grazing his arm. "I know this is probably a lot like the last time, or atleast it seems like that, but Nate, Haley loves you. She does, I mean she's tutor wife", they shared a smile, "just be patient. That's what love is all about right, waiting?" She rolled her eyes over to the corner.
"Who are you waiting for, Brooke?" Nathan said shifting the spotlight.
"Somebody, I guess. I mean life is like one big waiting room. We just sit and wait, do the best we can, and hope that someone wants the same things that we do. And when it doesn't happen like that we move on." She said narcissistically.
"Well, Haley is worth waiting for, and i'll wait forever. I'll wait till she has to retire from the music industry, i'll wait till her flight home, i'll wait to save enough to visit. I'll do whatever I have too, because I won't lose her like last time."
"I know the feeling." Brooke's eyes watered. "Well I just wanted to drop by and see how you were. So i'm going to head out," she reached for the knob.
"Wait. Brooke." Nathan reached out his hand and placed it on Brooke's hip. She turned around and stared into his eyes.
"Nathan, I"… Nathan pulled her closely to him, and breathed deeply into her temple. "Nathan," Brooke whispered, drawing her hands further up his back, in between his shoulder blades. Nathan placed his hands on the centre of Brookes back and thrusted her body upwards, till their faces were near millimeters from one another…