Authors note: Sorry it has been a while...feeling a little stuck. Here is the next chapter, not much excitement, but a few things that I think are important...hope you like it, and please review, that is what makes this easy. I love my Brucas and my Brulian so I always feel torn...hope you like it thoug. Not sure if there will be only one more chapter or continue more...picks up right after the last chpater.

"There's my favorite nephew," Nathan said with a smile as Brooke and Davis walked in. He immediately noticed the look on Brooke's face as he scooped her son up, "Brooke, you ok?"

"Yeah," she said with a slight smile.

"Come on munchkin," Nathan said as he carried Davis towards the kitchen, Brooke followed behind.

"Hey," Haley smiled at her best friend as she was pouring a glass of tea.

"Hey," Brooke said.

"Nathan, be careful with them," Haley said as she watched Nathan outside with the smaller kids. She loved the man he had become. Who would've ever thought Nathan Scott would be this guy? The truth was she always knew, despite everything that they had gone through, Haley always knew he was her future, forever.

"Where is Jamie at today," Brooke asked as she sat beside Haley.

"Jamie is at the river court with Andre and Chuck," she smiled.

"That game runs this family I swear," Brooke said with a genuine smile. She loved Jamie so much, he was her god son and he meant the world to her, seeing him growing into this amazing young man was an honor for Brooke.

"Wasn't it you, Brooke Davis, who reminded me that basketball is what brought us all together?"

"Guilty," she said watching Nathan and Lucas with Grace, Davis and Sawyer in the back yard.

"Are you ok," Haley asked noticing Brooke seemed distant.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Anything you wanna talk about," Haley asked knowing about Brooke's confession to Lucas.

"Thanks, but it's nothing I can't handle," Brooke smiled. "I see you invited Alex," Brooke said as she saw Alex in the backyard talking with Millicent.

"Not me," Haley said, Brooke nodded with a slight scowl on her face.

"That was me," she heard a voice say, she turned towards him as he embraced her.

"Chase, I didn't know you were back in town," she said with a genuine smile, "how are you?"

"Good, good," he said with a smile, "I just got back last night."

"Hales," Lucas called as he walked in the kitchen, "your husband is requesting your assistance."

"My work is never done," Haley said with a slight sigh as she made her way outside.

"I better get back out there," Chase said as he turned towards Brooke.

"You ok," Lucas asked as he watched her intently.

"Yeah."

"Nathan said he thought you were upset," Lucas said, "I just wanted to see if you were ok, after last night, I just want to make sure we're ok, Brooke."

"We're fine," she said still avoiding his gaze, "Lucas, it's just…"

"Hello, anyone in here," they both turned towards the voice, Brooke thankful for the interruption, Lucas not so much.

"Quinn, we're in here," Brooke called.

"Hey," Quinn smiled brightly as she and Clay made their way in the kitchen

"Brooke, Lucas," Clay said nervously as he wrapped his arm around Quinn.

"Clay," Lucas said, Brooke smiled at the sports agent, "Quinn."

"Luke, can you help him," Haley asked as she made her way inside again, "Clay, you're just in time too."

"Sounds fun," Clay said as he kissed Quinn.

"Well, Nathan is not exactly the best grill master," Haley said as she handed Lucas a platter with steaks, "thank you."

"No problem," Lucas said as he and Clay walked outside leaving the three girls alone.

"You do know boys don't really have cooties," he smiled as he stood beside her. The afternoon had been nice, good food and good friends, and now the sun was starting to set and the evening had begun just as nice.

"What," she asked with a laugh watching the kids in the pool with Nathan and Jamie.

"Brooke," Clay said as he handed her a bottle of water, "he has been trying to get to you all day, and you have been avoiding him like the plague."

"I think you have an overactive imagination Clay Evans," she smiled as she looked towards the blonde he was referring to, sitting alone with a beer on the other side of the yard.

"Well, I think it's obvious, but," he said, "I get it."

"What's that," she asked.

"How hard it is," he said with a serious tone.

"Does it get easier," she asked.

"Well," Clay hesitated, he was surprised she hadn't shut him out, "it does get easier. I mean when I met Quinn, I was still pretty messed up, but she got through all the walls I put up, all of the crap I put in her way."

"My son asked me this morning if he can get a new dad," she said sadly.

"Wow," he said, "that's a tough one. But, I think Julian would want you to be happy Brooke, and Davis too. I remember how excited he was when you were pregnant. When we were coaching Jamie's little league baseball, Julian was so excited. I remember how excited he was over paint colors," Clay laughed.

"Enchanted forest or soft duckling," she smiled at that memory of trying to pick a nursery color.

"How are we going to pick a color," Julian asked as he held on to her hand walking thru the store.

"Well, there happen to be a lot of gender neutral colors," she smiled.

"Brooke," he huffed, causing her to smile at his pouting, "if we just find out the sex it will be so much easier."

"Julian, I told you," she said as he wrapped his arms around her, "I want it to be a surprise, I don't want to know, besides we could always go with yellow."

"Green," he said as they each grabbed a swatch with different shades.

"Soft duckling," she said softly with a smile as she looked at her amazing husband.

"That's good," he smiled, "but, what about enchanted forest?"

"That's nice," she said kissing him, "but you're my enchanted forest."

"And you," he said as he kissed her forehead, "Brooke Baker are my soft duckling."

"I know that it's hard to hear, even harder to believe, but it is true. Brooke, he would want you to be happy."

"I'm trying," she said softly.

"When that person comes along, the one who is willing to wait, to do what you need," he said looking towards his wife, "that person that is willing to put forth the effort to get inside the walls, that's the person you don't want to lose. And someday you let those walls down without even knowing it, and they are in your heart and you're happy again."

"Do you still miss Sarah?"

"I do," he said truthfully, "I think I always will. But, now the times I think about her are times when I want to tell her the good things in my life. You know when Quinn found out she was pregnant last month, the first person I thought about telling was Sarah. Crazy huh?"

"Not crazy," she said.

"Well, letting Quinn in, letting her love me, that was hard, probably one of the hardest things I've done because I felt like I was betraying Sarah and what we had."

"How did you get past that," she asked.

"Well, it was hard and scary, but taking that chance with my heart, it got me here. I have an amazing wife and we are going to have our first child in a few months and" he said looking around at everyone, "I get to be a part of this. It was scary, Brooke, but in the end…"

"It was worth is," she said, more a statement than a question.

"It was worth it," he smiled at her, "and I know it's different for you because of Davis, but I think you'll be ok. You'll be just fine, look at me."

"Thanks Clay," she smiled.

"You're welcome," he said as he hugged her, "and just remember, Brooke, boys really don't have cooties."

"Bye baby girl," Lucas said hugging his daughter.

"Bye daddy," Sawyer said as she climbed in Peyton's SUV.

"Thank you," Peyton said, "I know tomorrow is your day with her, but it really means a lot to me and to Jake."

"Peyton, it's fine, ok," Lucas said. He had Sawyer all day with him, with his family, with the people that mattered to him. Peyton and Jenny had even had dessert with everyone before preparing to head to Savannah.

"Look, I know that this not ideal for you, but it is temporary Luke, just until Jake's mom is better, ok."

"I get it, ok, I know that she needs him there."

"Luke," she sighed, "he's my husband, I have to go with him ok? I can't just let him deal with this on his own. His father just died and tomorrow is gonna be hard for him and his mom."

"Peyton, it's fine," he said angrily, "go. Just make sure my daughter calls me tomorrow."

"Ok," she said softly as she got in the car, Lucas waved at his daughter as they drove away. He sat on the steps of the Naley house alone. He was angry at Peyton, at the world. Father's Day had never been a holiday that Lucas Scott ever looked forward to. It brought up so much about his past, about Dan, about losing Keith, seeing Lily growing up with Andy as her dad. But, when Sawyer was born it was different. Even though his marriage to Peyton wasn't what Lucas Scott wanted, he loved his daughter so much, and being a father made the holiday a little more bearable. But after watching Peyton drive away with his daughter he remembered why it was that he disliked this holiday.

"So, you're still into brooding."

"And you're still into being an ass," Lucas said bitterly as Nathan sat down beside him.

"True," Nathan said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both thinking. "Luke, I'm here, if you want to talk ok, I'm here."

"Thanks, Nate," he said as he took another drink of his beer, "but really there is nothing to talk about."

"Well, if you decide there is," Nathan said, "I'm here."

"Uncle Nathan," Davis called as he ran outside where the two brothers were sitting, "can you help me? Jamie won't let me play he says I'm little."

"Well, you are little, buddy," Nathan said as he chuckled.

"No, my mamma says I am a big boy," Davis said with Brooke's pouty smile.

"Alright buddy," Nathan said standing up, "I will tell him to let you play."

"You're awesome," Davis said smiling up at Nathan.

"And what about me," Lucas asked the little boy with a smile.

"Uncle Lucas you're the bestest," Davis said as he wrapped his arms around Lucas' neck.

"Thanks little man," Lucas said as he kissed the top of Davis' head.

"Davis Scott Baker," Brooke said as she walked outside, "are you bothering Uncle Lucas?"

"No mamma," he said with a grin, "I was bothering Uncle Nathan."

"Come on Davis, let's go get Jamie," Nathan said as he put Davis up on his shoulders.

"Nathan Scott, you be careful with my baby," Brooke said playfully as the duo walked inside leaving her alone with Lucas. She sat down beside him, "that boy is something."

"He is," Lucas said.

"You ok," she asked knowing he was upset about Peyton's temporary move to Savannah.

"Are we talking now," he asked taking another drink of the beer he was holding.

"Yeah, I heard boys don't really have cooties," she whispered with a smile, he looked at her like she was crazy, "I'm sorry."

"For," he asked, he was in a bad mood and for once he didn't feel like being that guy, not tonight.

"Hey," she said looking at him with a slight hint of pain in her eyes. It wasn't often that Lucas seemed cold, "I know it's hard for you with Sawyer being gone."

"It's not just that," he sighed. The truth was it wasn't just Sawyer or Brooke, it was Father's Day, it was the past, and it was his heart.

"I'm sorry," she said with a sigh, he looked at her confused, "I'm sorry that I have been avoiding you today," she said as she leaned her head against his shoulder, "I don't want to, Luke, I'm just afraid. And this morning, my son," she said hesitantly, "he asked about Julian and it just got to me, and I don't want to push you away, and I want to be here for you, I know that this is hard with Peyton taking your daughter, and it's Father's Day tomorrow, it's all…"

"Shh," he said cutting her off, he leaned his head on hers, "you babble when you're nervous."

"Sorry," she said.

"Don't be," he smiled, "it's one of the things I love about you."

"Are we gonna be ok Luke," she asked as she placed her hand in his.

"We're gonna be fine," he said as he placed a kiss on her hand.

So I know the Brooke/Clay scene may have seemed odd to some? But for me, in this story, Clay is the one who can understand her feelings a bit, he's been there, and like he says without a kid, but he gets it. I think that it would be natural for him to want to talk to her at this point, we are looking years in the future and he has been around a while at this point. The paint color scenes with Brulian were so cute that I wanted to tie them in to myu story...again I own nothing...any ideas and suggestions are welcome. Thanks!