AN: I apologize for the delay. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy! (:

Brooke walked into her kitchen and gasped. Lucas was sitting at the counter and looking at job ads. She smiled and moved around him towards the coffee pot. She let out a soft giggle.

"What's so funny Davis?"

Joining him at the table, she pointed at the paper, "You circled dog walker."

He shrugged, "I could be a very good dog walker, thanks."

"You need a real job, Lucas," she reminded.

Lucas took a sip of his coffee and kept his eyes on the paper. He had only been here a day, but he was ready to snap. Brooke was never satisfied with anything that he had done. He felt bad for her, but she needed to lighten up.

"Brooke, I am trying to find a job, but it isn't easy," he mumbled.

She sighed, "You had your own company for goodness sake! You can't possibly tell me that you can't work there or somewhere else like that?"

He fell quiet and snatched the paper off of the table. Lucas trudged off to his room and slammed the door.

Brooke jumped at the loud bang. She was curious as to why he was supposed to be this big shot but he couldn't work at his own company?

With a sigh she walked over to the spare room and knocked on the door. There was a long pause before he opened the door. His eyes were red and froze in the doorway.

Brooke felt something in the pit of her stomach. Looking at him validated her belief that she would wait to figure out the mystery that is Lucas' past job until he was ready to fill her in. something wasn't adding up, but she didn't want to make him more upset than he clearly was.

"I was wrong."

Lucas raised a brow, still keeping his eyes on the floor, "About what?"

"You being a dog walker," Brooke said with a smile.

He looked at her and caught her contagious smile, "I thought you would come around eventually. I am like the dog whisperer."

She playfully shoved him, "Oh, come on!"

He handed her the newspaper and grinned. He knew where he was going to work. He had known all along that he would eventually have to make his return to Tree Hill, although this time wasn't going to be as glorious of a return.

Lucas grabbed the keys to his car and motioned Brooke to follow him. Oddly enough to Lucas, Brooke didn't ask any questions and followed him into his ratty red truck. He started the engine and it roared.

After a few moments of silence Brooke decided to say something, "Trying to figure out what to do with my body after you kill my ass?"

Lucas remained unmoved and shook his head, "I know where I need to go. I just don't think that I can physically bring myself to get there."

She let out a long sigh, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You need to start being more open with me. There are a lot of things about you that I don't know, Lucas. I can count on one hand the number of things that I know about you."

He knew that she was right, but how do you explain all that has happened to him without sounding like a charity case or a complete asshole. He sunk down in his seat. It wasn't going to be easy for him to open up to people and he hardly ever let anyone in.

"My mom owns her own café…"

"Lucas—"

"My uncle, Dan's brother, owns a garage that he works at. I figure if I swallow my pride and see my mom maybe she can help me out until I figure out what I can do with my life. I don't want to crowd your space anymore than I have too," he said softly.

Brooke gave him a small smile, "she is your mother, Lucas. I am sure that she would take you back in a heartbeat."

"You don't understand."

He cranked up the radio, signaling that was the end of all further discussion on the matter. Brooke looked at him as if she was studying him. There was something about him that was so mysterious that it intrigued her.

When they pulled up to the café, Brooke smiled. She had always loved to get muffins from here when she was a little girl. Never once did she know that Lucas' mom owned the joint. Maybe if she had known she would have made friends with him on the playground.

"Ready for this?" Brooke asked. She was trying to get him excited for whatever was bound to happen through the two brown doors.

He shook his head, "I'll probably give her a heart attack."

Without thinking, she grabbed his hand, "Lucas, I am going to help you through this just like you are helping me, okay?"

He gave her a smile and led the way into the café. There were a few people inside due to the awkward hour of their occurrence. She turned to face the pair and froze. Lucas squeezed Brooke's hand tightly.

From the look on her face, Brooke knew this was going to be one of those emotional reunions. There was so much tension and she would give anything to click her heels together and go to Kansas with Toto.

"Hey, Mom," Lucas staggered out.

She remained in her position and didn't show any emotion. A man ran up behind her and placed an arm around her shoulder. Lucas squeezed her hand once more.

"What the hell are you doing here, Luke?"

"I….I…"

"I think that I am going to let you guys talk this one out," Brooke said as she turned to flee. Lucas yanked her back to his side. Mumbling, "or not."

"Lucas?" his mother said softly. Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks. Brooke turned to face Lucas. He was about to cry as well but had no tears.

"Why don't we go in the back and talk?" Keith said as he gently led Karen into the back office. Brooke took a seat next to Lucas.

He kept eyes on his hands, "How are you, Mom?"

"That's all you have to say?" she hissed. The tears were still flowing but she was getting angry. Her chest was turning red.

"I….I….Mom…"

"Why the hell are you in my café now? After all this time, with no word from you, I had no clue what was going on in your life! I am your mother, Lucas, not some piece of shit on the street!"

Lucas flinched. His mother never cursed and the fact that she just did, and loudly, meant he was in deep. He needed to just let her vent it out to him. He did deserve it.

"You pack up your bags and leave to make something of yourself without letting your own mother know? I needed you here with me to keep my business going. Regardless of what I think about Dan, you didn't even show up when Dan had that horrible condtion. The lack of respect for your parents is disheartening."

Karen stood up and walked over to him. She stared at him dead in his eyes. He tensed up, preparing for a good hardy smack. Brooke closed her eyes. She didn't want to be here and see this. Nathan was good at diffusing a situation like this.

"You put me through hell when you were in school and I never got a damn bit of thanks from you…" she whispered. She knelt to the ground and had tears in her eyes.

"Mom," Lucas went to put a hand on her shoulder and she swatted it off.

They sat there in silence for a minute. Emotions were on high and patience was running on empty. Lucas just sat there and watched his mom cry in hysterics.

"Just…" she stood up and wiped her eyes, "just tell me why you are here."

"I wanted to see if I could work with you or in the garage for a little bit. I know I have a lot to—"

"Go to the garage at ten o'clock and get the hell out of my café," she said firmly.

"What?"

"Get out of my shop, Lucas," she repeated. After a moment of silence, she reached her breaking point, "Son, please!"

Brooke grabbed his hand and led him out to his truck. Lucas was made of stone because he hadn't shown a shred of real emotion. She wondered why he hadn't cried and his eyes only watered. Whatever was going on with him, Nathan was right about it all. Brooke tried to think of something to say, but fell short of something, anything, to say.

AN: Next chapter up soon! Thanks for the patience! REVIEW! (: