Alright people out there who I love for reading the crap I call writing. So here is the next update. THANK YOU SSSSSSOOOOOOO much for all those who take the time to review this story, this one is for you! I own nothing of One Tree Hill Folks.

Chapter 6

Hope

Nathan stood slowly from the ground to approach his brother who was still looking down the street. Haley kneeled in front of her son and grasped each of his shoulders and looked him in the eye. The boy's smile was like it used to be, when Brooke was still around. He looked like the Jamie who had been untouched by death.

"Sweet heart, what do you mean you saw her?"

Lucas' eyes darted to Haley and Jamie and then he realized his brother had been in front of him calling his name.

"Lucas what's going on? Jamie said he saw-"

"He saw her?" Lucas said in amazement. His face formed a smile too, one that was similar to Jamie's, one neither had done since Brooke was alive. He rushed to Jamie and fell to his knees next to Haley and also gazed at the boy to confirm what he already knew in his heart.

"Jamie, buddy tell me what you saw."

"I saw Aunt Brooke. She left with some guy-"

"Jamie baby are you sure it was her?"

"Yeah momma. I'd know my Aunt Brooke anywhere."

Lucas jumped up and started to dig through his pockets for his keys. He was going to find that car if it was the last thing he was going to do. Nathan was close behind, having heard what his son just said.

"Lucas stop."

"No Nate. I know it was her."

Lucas was a man on a mission. He walked briskly to his car and opened the door.

"You can't think-"

"Jamie saw her too." He stopped to look his brother in the eye. As bad as things had gotten between them he had to know it was true. The only person to ever love Brooke as much as he did was his brother.

"Lucas, Haley and I were out here the whole time, we would've seen her."

"Did you see the guy walk off?"

"No but-"

"Did you see him get in his car?"

"No Luc-"

"I did. I saw him and I know I saw her. It's her Nate."

"You just want it to be her Lucas. Jamie misses her like crazy and so do you but you two have got to realize it's not possible. The police said there was no way she could've survived. You saw that car!"

"They're wrong Nate. She did survive and I saw her she was right here and none of us knew it till it was too late. I have to go before they get too far away!"

"Look I'm coming with you. To make sure you don't scare the shit out of some poor woman who has the misfortune of looking like Brooke."

Nathan trotted to the passenger side of the car and got in as Lucas closed his door and they peeled out of the driveway in search of the car that possibly carried what they had hoped for, for over a year. The car ride was silent for a while till Lucas started to think out loud.

"They said she couldn't have survived but it was her."

"Lucas we've been riding around for an hour."

"They never found a body Nate."

"I know but they said that was to be expected after they found the car in the condition it was."

"They never found a body, no remains, not even her clothes she wore that night….it was her."

Nathan watched his brother scanning every car, every passerby and he hurt for his brother. The look of determination on his face made it plain to Nathan that he was going to have to do something to get his brother back to planet earth. He worried for his sanity at that moment and then he saw him, the guy that was at the house earlier going into a cafe. He didn't want to alert Lucas so he came up with a plan.

"Okay let's say I believe you. Then we should split up. I think I remember the guy so why don't you drop me off here and I'll look around and you go check the motels and see if you see the car."

"Alright."

Lucas stopped the car and let his brother out and was about to drive off.

"Lucas if you find something call me. Don't do anything stupid."

Nathan shut his door and Lucas drove off. Nathan looked back at the café and started walking. When he made it inside he braced himself. He was hoping he'd see the guy and find Brooke sitting across from him but the guy sat at the counter alone. Nathan thought he had to do this, he had to ask for the sake of his son, his ex-wife and his brother. Because if there was any hope that this guy was the key to bringing his family back together he had to try. He walked over and sat next to the guy and thought about what to say. Jake could tell from the moment the man sat down he wanted to say something to him. He sipped his tea quietly waiting for the man to work up the nerve when he got impatient.

"Do I know you?"

Nathan's eyes shot to the man and he knew it was now or never.

"No, but I think you know someone who does know me."

Jake's eyebrow shifted. He was concerned now that someone had seen Brooke.

"She knows me pretty well actually. You see we were best friends since grade school."

Jake knew now that the man must've seen her but until he knew she'd be safe he wasn't about to give her up.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Jake said looking straight ahead.

Nathan was good at reading people and what this guy's actions told him is that what his son and his brother were swearing was more than just a possibility now.

"Look I don't know what you think or why she didn't come to us when you brought her to the house but you gotta let me see her. She's my son's god mother and Aunt. She's been the biggest part of my family for as long as I could remember and when we thought she died it destroyed me and my family. This café you're sitting in, belongs to a woman who was pretty much like a mother to her. My wife, is her best friend and…" Nathan turned from Jake who had yet to look him in the eye and he dug out his wallet. He found a picture he kept in his wallet that was near and dear to him and slammed it on the counter in front of Jake. In the picture was a little boy.

"I want you to take that to her. You show her that picture and ask her why she is punishing that little boy. As much as he loves his mother and I, he was crushed when he lost her, his Aunt Brooke. Now you tell her to look at that picture and ask herself how she can stay away. You tell her whatever it is keeping her away she doesn't have to worry because I'll protect her."

Nathan left the small photo on the counter and walked out. Jake peered down at it and saw the little boy. He was glad that someone was willing to protect her. He kind of got the feeling of the guy was willing to do anything for her, kind of like a brother.

Nathan made it to the corner and then ducked into an alley. The information he knew in his heart to be true was too much. He began to cry. If this was true, Brooke would be alive and they could all start again and heal. If it wasn't true, they had all just set themselves up for the heartbreak that would follow if they had to grieve her all over again. Across the way Lucas had spotted the car and pulled in next to it. His initial reaction was to beat on the door of every room till he found her but his brother's warnings of doing something stupid stopped him. So instead he decided to go ask the clerk if he had seen her. When the bell dinged to signal entry the clerk's head shot up. She was an older woman. Her hair was a silver tone that reflected the sun's raise that shown behind her. She greeted Lucas with a warm smile that he found pleasant.

"Excuse me miss?"

"Yes sweetheart, you lookin' for a room?"

"Uh no, I'm actually looking for.." Lucas took out his wallet and pulled out the photo of Brooke he kept. It was a picture of her at Nathan and Haley's wedding. She wore a gorgeous red dress that clung to her skin. Her soft curls were swept to the side revealing her swan like neck and enticing skin that he would taste that night. She had a smile that showed off the dimples that haunted his dreams and he hoped the woman would be able to give him the answer he sought. "…her. She's my …wife and she's traveling with her brother to go to a family reunion and I drove down to surprise her."

"Aw that's so sweet. Sorry honey but I sure haven't seen a pretty girl like that around here. Maybe they stayed with family?"

Lucas did his best to crack a smile at the woman.

"But come to think of it a young man did rent a room earlier. I didn't see anyone with him but I guess it could be the brother in law."

"My height, bushy eyebrows, kinda tan, brown eyes?"

"Sounds about right. I have him in room 301."

"Thanks ma'am."

He walked out and looked for the room of 301 and like a crazed man he started knocking. He knocked for what seemed like forever and no one answered. He knocked a while longer and then decided to give up. He headed back to his car and drove away. Had he waited a few more seconds he would've seen her coming back from the ice machine. She entered the room and set the container of ice down next to the soda she bought earlier and sat on the bed. She looked around the room and thought about the little boy. He was beginning to consume her thoughts almost as much as the tall blonde. She laid back and decided to take a nap since Jake was obviously taking his time. She was a lot more tired than she had expected because as soon as her eyes closed her mind went wild with memories.

She had just managed to calm the little boy down and get him into his pajamas when he flashed that infamous Scott grin at her that made her heart melt. Jamie always had a way of getting his way with that simple facial expression. It had worked on her so many times when Nathan flashed it when he was begging her to set him up with one of his friends. Lucas would use it to get out of whatever doghouse he had drunk himself into and now Jamie was using it against her for a bedtime story.

"Okay handsome. One story and then it's bed. Your mom will kill me if she finds out you can con me into stuff with that face."

"Okay Aunt Brooke, it'll be our little secret."

"You know if I didn't know any better I'd say you Scott men get together and teach each other about how to get one over on me."

"Ooo tell me a story about when you and daddy were little."

"Uhhh I don't know if that's such a good idea buddy."

"Oh come on. Pleeeeeease?"

That little grin would be the death of her one day. Brooke could look at him and all those doubts she would have about having kids one day of her own would melt away. Then the reality would set back in that the possibility of getting Lucas to willingly procreate with her was slim to none. She'd never plot or scheme to get what she wanted, no Brooke Davis would have to hope for a miracle….or a broken condom.

"Fine, you know what I'll tell you about the time your daddy and I got in trouble when we took your grandma Deb's car for a joy ride."

"Uhh no I don't think so Aunt Brookie" Nathan said making his appearance known. "The boy is smart enough at getting into trouble, we don't need you giving him any ideas."

"Awww dad."

"Well little man it looks like we're busted. I'm gonna head out."

"I love you Aunt Brooke."

"I love you too Jamie, more than anything."

She got up and headed back to her house where she knew Lucas was more than likely up writing on his "change the world" novel. She walks in and there he is intently looking at his laptop while he sat up in their bed, tapping away at the keys while his brain dictated greatness. She could see he was heavily into writing because he never even looked up to acknowledge her coming in. She had learned from their years together to not bother him with her relationship doubts so she just went about her way and got ready for bed. He hadn't heard her come in and when he felt the bed shift his eyes looked up to see his favorite person laying down on her side of the bed. Whenever she came in all quiet he knew she was pissed about something. More than likely about their non-progressive future. He knew she wanted more but he was the one dragging his feet and kicking and screaming. All he wanted to do was make her happy and he knew what she thought would make her happy would be to get married and have a baby but he wasn't so sure. Whenever they kept Jamie it was like she was a different person. She morphed from the sexy seductive temptress into full on fun mommy mode and it's not like he hated it but it was just weird. He'd try to touch her or say dirty things to her and she'd turn all prude on him and Jamie wasn't even in the room. He'd be in bed, fast asleep and all Lucas wanted to do was have a little playtime with her. He sighed out that sigh he usually does when he's about to do something he doesn't want to do when she cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. Go back to typing."

"Brooke-"

"I'm going to bed."

And that was that. He knew he should've pushed on but he didn't. If he had maybe he would've seen the tears that formed in her eyes when she finally realized that she was never going to have the family she wanted with the man she loved.

Sophia woke up with a start with tears still in her eyes. At that moment she questioned what it was she had come back for. The door opened and there was her hero. Jake had finally decided to show his face again and when he saw her in tears he rushed to her side like he had done many times.

"Same dream?"

"No."

"Well…what was it?"

"I don't know."

She lied. She knew exactly what it was. It was a memory of her past that hurt her more than she was willing to admit. In that dream she knew she loved this man more than life and it was devastating to feel that rejection. The rejection that he didn't want that forever with her. She clung to Jake with all she had because she was afraid if she let go she would be tossing a possible forever away. The next morning she awoke in his arms and felt safe, safer than safe but she also was glad that she could still look him in the eye. She had slept with but only slept. This was the kind of love she wanted, it was just with the wrong man and the problem was she knew it now. She rolled out of bed without waking Jake and went for his coat pocket. She knew he had told her probably wasn't a good idea to go walking around town just yet but she was in need of coffee right at that very second. She had seen the café on the way in and wanted to give it a shot. She went into the pocket and saw the picture, the picture of HER Jamie. She studied it like it was a work of art, looking at the smile, the smile that made her go weak in the knees. She hadn't noticed Jake get up until he hugged her from behind. All of a sudden she was pissed.

"Where did you get this?"

"Oh, yeah I meant to tell you about that."

"About what?"

"I think one of them saw you at the house."

"What….why would you say that?"

"The tall brunette guy cornered me in the café yesterday. He gave me that picture."

"Well what did he say, did he talk about me, about Jamie?"

"Jamie, you know the kids name?"

"Yeah I….I'm his god mother."

"Yeah that's what he said. You're that little boys aunt too. He's a cute kid."

"Yeah, he is."

Her eyes were now back to photo in her hands and Jake saw a light in her that he hadn't seen since they met.

"I think I should take you back there."

She looked up at him with shock. She wanted to but at the same time she didn't want to go back to the relationship that hurt her. That much she knew.

"Jake-"

"No Brooke. I want you to get showered and dressed. I'm taking you to them. They miss you. You should've seen the guy. It was like he had hope in finding his sister."

"We're not related."

"How do you know?"

"I remember….some things."

Jake was a little shocked. He thought she cared and trusted him enough to trust him with something like this. Now he was really worried that about what she wasn't telling him and what she wasn't telling him was who she remembered.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday at the house. When I was snooping around back I saw this little boy. I remembered this little boy."

"What else?"

"Yesterday when you came back and I had been crying, well it wasn't about the usual bad dream."

"I remember."

"Well it was a dream, a memory actually. It was of him and me and the little boy. My Jamie."

He watched her light up at saying it and he had to admit he was really happy for her.

"What was the dream about?"

"I was babysitting. He was being this little con artist and convinced me to read him a bed time story even though he was already past his bed time. I was about to tell him a story about when Nathan and I were kids."

"You remember him too?"

"No not really. I mean I know who he is and I have these flashes but it's not like it was with Jamie. I mean the moment I saw that little boy I remembered everything about him. I remembered the day he was born from the way he loves to swim, all the way to his favorite cereal. I felt love for him."

"Well it looks like we better get the two of you back together."

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I'm not sure….if I'm ready to go back."

"Well how about we just talk to this… Nathan guy. I'm sure he'll respect your decision to keep your presence unknown."

"You think?"

"I think so. You know he said whatever it was keeping you away from them that he didn't care, that he'd protect you and you know what" Jake asked taking her in his arms, "I believe him."

"Well if you believe him…than I do too."

She lightly kissed him on the lips and bounced into the bathroom like a kid on Christmas. Jake looked after her in hopes that this was going to be the last of their moments together. He was bracing himself for hurricane Brooke to hit their lives. The minute they got in the car it was like she went on auto pilot. She had demanded to drive and now they were riding through the streets of Tree Hill. She made a left turn here, a right turn there and then they were sitting out in front of this swanky looking apartment building. It was red brick that screamed small town and home. She got out and almost had to be tackled before she got to the door.

"So how are we doing this?"

"I don't know, I guess…should I hide or something?"

"Why on earth would you hide" Jake asked laughing.

"I don't know. I'm about to practically bring a friend back from the dead for this guy."

"Maybe I should just stay for a second to you know offer support and then-"

"Don't you dare say you were thinking of leaving me alone here. No. I'll hide, you go in and make sure he's alone and then I'll show myself."

"Okay whatever you say agent smith."

"Shut up, just get in there and do some recon for me."

Jake went up and knocked while Brooke did her snooping thing again. She walked around to the side out of sight and peaked around the corner and saw the bike she had bought Jamie a few Christmas' ago. He had been so happy to finally get some wheels of his own. She moved a little closer so she could see the front door from where she was. The door swung open and Jake could see the shocked look Nathan had on his face.

"How did you find out where I lived?"

"Okay before I say anything else, are you here alone?"

"Yeah but I'm a little more concerned on how you found out where I lived" Nathan said a little annoyed.

"Well I didn't have to find anything it turns out."

Jake turned and signaled Sophia over and the moment her eyes connected with Nathan's it was as if Sophia ceased to exist… Brooke Davis was back.

And that is only the begining guys. Wait for it when the shit really hits the fan. Is anyone excited for the Brucas reunion? I know I had a ball writing it. So feel free to leave a review, until monday guys. Have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend, I know I will.