Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters....I own nothing but this story's plot!!!

Chapter 6:

Last of Days

All last night, ever since he'd dropped Jamie off at the Café, all Lucas had wanted to do was confront Haley. And now, since there was no class today, he had to make up some excuse to talk with her.

He had figured she would be with Brooke all day, and since he couldn't very well confront his friend about the brunette with her standing within earshot, he was going to have to get crafty. Lucky for him, when he had called his best friend first thing this morning she was making a run to Krispy Kreme to get the kids some doughnuts.

"Perfect," Lucas had thought and he had slipped out of the house, hoping to catch Haley still at the store.

He spotted her white Equinox when he pulled into the parking lot. And he rushed out of his car so he could get as much time as possible with his friend. He already figured Haley knew something was up since he had called her so early and in such a panic, but maybe she just thought it was wedding stuff.

Once inside he saw Haley waiting in the corner of the pastry shop at a little square table. He practically ran over and jumped into the chair across from her.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Haley asked him, laughing a little when she noticed how fast he had been scrambling to sit down. He practically knocked the chair out from under himself.

"Why is Brooke here?" He blurted out, laying his hands out on the table. He did not really seeing the point in beating around the bush on the matter. He wanted to know.

Haley gave him a strange look before she opened her mouth to answer him. "She's here because I called and invited her. She came for Jamie's birthday party. And for your wedding…or did you forget about that?" She asked him, getting a little snappy. Brooke could come to Tree Hill whenever she wanted. It wasn't like Lucas was the gatekeeper or something.

"N-no, I didn't forget," Lucas stuttered out. "I just wish you would have told me she was coming," he reasoned, trying to sounds convincing.

"Lucas, I thought you wanted her to come," Haley said, throwing her hands in the air. "Why else would you have sent her an invitation?" She asked him, shaking her head from side to side.

"Peyton was the one who was all gung-ho about sending her an invitation. I figured it might have been too painful, considering how she left things. I mean, I wouldn't want to go sit through her wedding anytime soon," he said, hanging his head.

"Luke, did you actually think she wouldn't come?" She asked him, forcing his eyes to look back at her. "You and Peyton mean a lot to her. And a lot has happened since high school."

Lucas looked back at the floor and kicked his shoe absent-mindedly at the table leg. "I don't know. I guess part of me always wanted her to come back. But now, seeing her again…I didn't think it would rattle me this much."

"Well don't worry, I think seeing you did the same thing to her," Haley blurted out, and then quickly snapped her mouth shut when she realized what she had just said.

Lucas looked up one last time to look Haley in the face. "Well, I mean, I should talk to her then? We wouldn't want things to be awkward at the wedding, right?" He asked her, looking for permission to proceed. Ever since Brooke had left, Haley had been uber-protective over her, so whenever Lucas brought her up, he knew he was treading on delicate ground.

Haley raised her hand in protest. "Luke, don't," she pleaded with him. "She came here to relax and visit old friends; I don't need you emotionally draining her with trips down memory lane."

Lucas nodded his head and stood up from the table. He had so many unanswered questions that he wanted to get resolved. But he figured that less than two weeks before his wedding probably wasn't the best time to be rehashing things long buried with ex-loves.

"Okay, Liv, let me put your floaties on," Brooke said, trying to calm the bubbly girl down.

Olivia and Jamie had hit it off right away. And Brooke figured that from the fact that they weren't asleep till after midnight that they might actually sleep in. No such luck though.

She should have known better, Olivia was almost always an early riser. A trait she definitely did not inherit from her mother.

"Hurry, Mommy. Jamie almost ready!" She squealed, flapping her little arms excitedly.

The two children had woken Brooke up, since Haley had been nowhere to be found, announcing that they wanted to go swimming. Brooke decided to give in since she knew going back to sleep was pointless with the way they were hounding her. Plus she thought the swim might wear them out enough to force them to take an early nap.

"Okay, they're on," Brooke announced, stepping back from the little girl. "Now let Mommy get dressed so I can swim with you," She told the little girl, grabbing her suit from her bag and going to the bathroom to change.

"Okay," Olivia answered, pulling herself onto the big bed her mother had slept in the night before.

Brooke came out a few moments later, dressed and ready to go in her brown Juicy Couture swim dress. She modeled it for Olivia. "So Liv, what do you think?" She asked, turning a full circle.

Olivia's eyes got big as she smiled widely and clapped her hands. "You has a swim skirt like me!" She cheered.

"Yep, I do, baby girl," she said, picking up the little girl and throwing her over her hip. "Now let's go find Jamie so we can swim."

"Yeah," Olivia said, nodding her head in agreement.

They two girls found Jamie completely dressed, with a goggle mask and everything, in his bedroom. Even though the sun wasn't out too high yet, she still slathered SPF 50 on the kids, and they headed out to the pool.

"Splash Mommy!" Olivia screamed as she and Jamie paddled over in their inner tubes to where Brooke was seated on the steps of the pool.

"Liv, Jamie, you better not," Brooke warned them. "I know ways of splashing you two haven't even dreamed of."

"Like what?" Jamie asked her, still paddling near to her.

"Yeah Mommy, what?" Olivia asked, mimicking Jamie. Although Jamie wasn't that much older than her, she followed him around like he was the leader of the pack.

Brooke stood up from the noodle she was sitting on and blow water into her daughter's face. "Like that," she said, smiling at them.

Olivia immediately started laughing, as did Jamie. They were both looking at her with wide blue eyes.

"Wow," Jamie said. "Can I try?" He asked, coming over so he could grab the noodle.

"Sure," Brooke answered him, "Just don't blow it at me," she instructed him, before handing the floating device turned water-weapon over.

"But what fun would that be if he didn't get to splash you," Rachel butted into the conversation, as she took a seat at the edge of the pool.

"Auntie Rachie, gets in and play," Olivia beckoned her, splashing the water in front of her face and laughing as she did.

"You finally decided to wake up?" Brooke asked, swimming over to her friend and pulling herself out to sit on the edge beside her.

"Yeah, I figured it was about time," Rachel joked, leaning back till she was practically lying down onto the concrete that surrounded the pool.

"Ha," Brooke said sarcastically before flipping her wet hair over onto the girl beside her.

"Hey watch it," Rachel yelled, sitting up and pushing her friend with both hands back into the pool. "Some of us still have clothes on!"

Brooke popped up out of the water and turned to face her friend, smiling at her mischievously. "Like that's ever stopped us before," she said, before grabbing the red head's leg and dragging her into the water with a huge splash.

At the sight of which both Olivia and Jamie cheered. "Yay!" Olivia screamed, "Auntie Rachie swimming too!"

Jamie in turn blew the water out of the noodle directly into Rachel's face, making Brooke and Olivia erupt in a fit of laughter.

"You did not just do that," Rachel mumbled under her breath as she swam over toward the tiny boy, determined to get her payback.

Haley, arriving home amidst the entire ruckus, immediately walked into the back yard to see what all the commotion was about and where everyone was. When she saw everyone in the pool she asked, "What is going on out here?"

"Nothing, just playing, Momma," Jamie explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh really," She said, putting her hands on her hips. "Well I have got someone's requested doughnuts inside, just waiting to be eaten."

"Oooh, mine," Olivia called, swimming over to her mom. "Let's get out. I's hungry."

Brooke laughed and scooped up the little girl. Rachel had already climbed out and Jamie followed closely behind.

Haley took one look at Rachel and said, "Next time you might want to try a suit," as she tried to contain the giggle that was creeping up her throat.

Rachel just glared. "Yeah, try telling that to the brunette and her brood of mini demons out there," as she walked past Haley and into the house to change into some new dry clothes.

"So since Nathan is out of town practicing with the team until the day of Jamie's party, I thought you two could help me finalize the last minute details and get everything ready," Haley suggested to her houseguests as they all ate breakfast.

"I'd love to," Brooke admitted, biting her lip to contain some of her excitement. "But wouldn't you rather have Peyton help you. I mean, I know you two are close considering you're her maid of honor and everything."

"Nah," Haley waved her hand, dismissing the comment. "I see her all the time; it's you two that I never get to spend time with. And besides, she's not much into the whole kid thing."

"What? What do you mean?" Brooke asked, shocked. Peyton had always been so good with Jenny, she had always assumed she would be a mother. Just what had turned her off on kids?

"Well ever since around the time you left, and Jamie was born, she has been all anti-baby. Like she would hardly even hold Jamie as a baby," Haley explained. "And I don't know if it is just they are not her thing, or the fact that right after you left, she got ruffed up by a wanna-be brother character. Long story short, he injured Peyton pretty badly, and resulting from those injuries, the doctor have to perform a hysterectomy, therefore removing any chance she ever had of having children of her own."

Brooke and Rachel both stared at her with faces that displayed pure horror and shock. "Oh my God, I had no idea," Brooke said, immediately beating herself over the head. It's not like she and Peyton were even speaking to each other then, but not knowing something this huge made her feel so low.

Rachel immediately put her hand over Brooke's. She knew the brunette was somehow blaming herself. "Brooke, we had our own stuff to deal with, and the fact that we had zero phone privileges at Hansonville probably only added to the list of why we weren't told," she explained, glaring at Haley to confirm her explanation, whether or not it was actually true.

"Yeah, we didn't want to get you two worried once it was all over. And what would Peyton have thought if you never responded to her letter?" Haley reassured her. "Besides, now we hardly ever mention it. It is a pretty sensitive subject for Peyton. So I guess I can't really blame her."

"And poor Luke," Brooke empathized. "I'm sure he wanted nothing more than a child with Peyton." It literally broke her heart to say the words, but she knew he never wanted a child with her. It was always the blonde, or so she had taught herself to believe.

"Or any child," Rachel slipped in, squeezing Brooke's hand that she was still holding. A gesture that Brooke returned by digging her fingernails into the redhead's palm.

"I know," Haley shook her head. "He did always want to be a father. But he has assured me they will adopt, even though I don't think it's quite the same. At least I don't think it will be for him," Haley said. "A little boy with his blue eyes, or a little girl that loved books as much as he does…" she trailed off dreamily thinking about what might have been.

As she spoke Brooke felt her throat threatening to close if she didn't get out of that room, out of that house, out of that town. "Excuse me," she muttered, as she ran from the room and out the front door of Nathan and Haley's house. She had to escape…from all of it.

"Brooke," Haley called after her but it was too late. The brunette was gone. Turning to Rachel she asked, "Was it something I said?"

Rachel just started back at Haley. For a smart girl, sometimes she could be pretty stupid. "If you only knew," she answered, and shook her red locks from side to side. And she excused herself to the kitchen to check on the children.

Haley called Skills to see if he would mine watching Jamie while she and Rachel went to get some party stuff done. She had really wanted Brooke to help her, but since she had vanished, without her cell phone I might add, she was left with just Rachel.

With Brooke gone, Rachel deemed herself in charge of Olivia. And when the little girl begged to go with Jamie and his friend, she couldn't say no. When it came to that little girl she was a big softie. So she let Olivia leave with Skills and Jamie.

"What are we gonna do today, Uncle Skills," Jamie asked, as they unloaded at the apartment Skills shared with Mouth.

"Yeah Skillsie," what we doing?" Olivia asked, as he unbuckled the little girl from her car seat.

"Well, uh, I don't exactly know yet," he told the two little munchkins who matched him step for step as they climbed the stairs to his apartment.

"Huh?" Olivia asked him, putting her hands on her hips and stopping mid step. "I wanna do something fun!" She squealed, stomping her little sandal-clad foot for emphasis.

"Yeah, let's go to the River court," Jamie chimed in, pulling at the LeBron James jersey Skills was wearing. "Please," he added, as Skills turned to look at him and the little girl.

Olivia poked out her bottom look in perfect Brooke Davis fashion, batting her long, dark eyelashes at him. "Please, Skillsie, please," she tried to coax him.

"Fine," Skills gave in, throwing his hands in front of him and a crossing motion. "Let's get me a snack and then I'll round up the guys."

"Yes!" Jamie cheered! "Olivia, it is so cool," he added once the little girl reached him. "We play basketball and I can even dunk!" He bragged as they entered the apartment.

"Cool," Olivia nodded seemingly impressed. "I wanna do it too!"

"Skills can help you, he helps me a lot. And so does Uncle Lucas," Jamie said, explaining to her how he was pretty much one of the group already.

Olivia just nodded her head, taking everything in. She was already having so much fun hanging out with Jamie and all his friends; she didn't know how it could get better.

Brooke wandered aimlessly around the streets of Tree Hill. She knew she probably looked like a street walker or something, what with her swim dress only being covered by her sheer caftan, and a pair of slide on wedges on her feet. But that was the last thing she was thinking about, she actually wished she could make herself care because if she could do that, she could stop thinking about what was really on her mind.

She wanted to talk to Peyton, to tell her how sorry she was for not being there for her. She needed to try and make her understand. She also wanted to talk to Lucas, to find out why if he wanted a child so badly, he had so adamantly rejected hers. And why was she not good enough. And she wanted to ask both of them why in the hell they wanted her at their wedding so damn badly that they had to drag Haley into the mix.

But she couldn't do any of those things; her body wouldn't allow her to. And neither would her heart, she had closed herself off from this life. The way they had written her out, and now she had to deal with the consequences of her actions.

As she continued to walk, she found herself at the beach. With the waves and the warm sun and all the people around, she was sure she could blend in and find a spot to do her thinking. It was almost so much she didn't want to deal with it. But she has made the decision to come back here, and now she had to face the music.

She walked over by a deserted lifeguard stand and took off her cover up to use as a seat. She stared out into the deep blue waters, trying to drown out the voices around her as well as the voices in her head. So it was just her and the water.

"So little Brooke, this is it," Skills said as he unloaded the little girl from his black Cadillac, sitting her on the green grass that surrounded the court.

"I's not little Brooke, I's Olivia!" She said, stomping her foot. While Skills got Jamie out of his seat and sat him on the ground.

Skills turned to her and just laughed. "Yeah, whatever you say," he mumbled. "But you is just like your moms," He added, and the three of them headed to the actual court.

Olivia walked ahead of the boys in the pouty fashion, tiny fists still firmly placed on her hips. She walked over to the steel bleachers and took a seat in front of a man with spiky hair.

"Who's the little girl?" Junk asked Skills, when he and Jamie finally reached the guys who were waiting for them.

"Can you not tell just by looking at her?" He asked, as if it was obvious. "I haven't even been knowing that girl but thirty minutes and I can already tell she is her mom made over."

"Yeah," Jamie nodded, as if he fully grasped what Skills was talking about. "Can I show Olivia how I can dunk now?" He asked changing the subject as he looked up at Skills with expectant eyes.

"Hang on. We'll start playing in a minute, little man," Fergie explained to him. "We are still waiting on the big dog to get here, so we can have even teams."

"And to answer your earlier question, Junk," Mouth started from where he was sitting at the bleachers. "This has got to be Miss Brooke Davis's little girl, Olivia, who I have heard so much about," Mouth smiled down at the little girl.

The little girl turned around and smiled at him. "That's right, she's my Mommy. And I's Olivia," she smiled, happy that someone who realizing who she was.

"Well aren't you just the spitting image of your mother," Mouth added, and Olivia smiled. She didn't mind being compared to her mom; she just liked people to realize she was her own person.

"Hey guys, are we going to play or what?" Lucas asked, walking out to his friends who were all standing around the bleachers.

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie screamed, running to meet the older man that he so admired. "Now I can show Olivia how I can dunk!"

Lucas scooped up the little boy and gave him a hug. "Alright, sounds like a plan," he told him smiling. "And where is this little Olivia?" He asked, looking between the guys to spot the girl.

"Here I's is," Olivia proudly said, coming clearly into Lucas's vision. "I's Olivia Virginia Davis," she proudly stated, flashing him a dimpled smile. A smile he knew all too well.

Lucas smiled at the sight of the child; there was no doubt that she was Brooke's child. Except for the color of her eyes and hair, she was an exact replica of his once love.

He couldn't explain it, but with seeing her, he felt an instant sort of connection. He wasn't really sure how to explain it, almost like a draw. Maybe it was just seeing Brooke's daughter in the flesh, knowing she had the one thing that he wanted most in life. Yeah, that had to be it. Brooke had a family, and that's all he had ever wanted.

"Okay, so you're here now, Dawg. Are we going to play or what?" Skills asked, impatiently bouncing the ball towards him.

Lucas caught the ball and held it close to him. "Hey Liv…is it okay if I call you Liv?" He asked the little girl, hoping not to upset her.

She smiled wider and nodded her head eagerly. "Yeah, Mommy calls me Liv every day, and so do's Auntie Rachie. You can too, Lukie."

Lucas laughed and then looked at Skills, shaking his head in amusement.

"Don't look at me, man. She calls me 'Skillsie'," he told him, laughing and holding his hands up in defense.

"Okay, so Liv," Lucas started. "How about me, you, and Jamie take on Skills, Fergie, and Junk?" He asked.

Both kids nodded their heads vigorously. "Yeah!" Olivia squealed, running over to him and Jamie.

Jamie looked at Olivia and said, "We're totally going to win. Uncle Lucas rocks!" He tried to conceal his words behind his hand, but the guys still saw him.

"Well let's just play then, and see who wins," Skills said, talking down to Jamie and Olivia.

"We's gonna win!"Olivia screamed, and stuck out her tongue at Skills.

Lucas picked up the little girl and threw her onto his shoulders, and then he passed Jamie the ball. "Come on, Jimmy-Jam, let's show Olivia how we roll at the River Court."

Brooke made her way back to Nathan and Haley's home, sometime after the sun had gone down. She wasn't exactly sure what time it was, all she knew was most of the beach-goers had left some time ago, giving her plenty of "alone-time."

She snuck back into the house, thankful that the door was unlocked. She hoped her two friends were asleep, because frankly, she didn't want to deal with them tonight. Everything could wait until tomorrow. Everything except the one thing she had to do right now.

She walked down the hall to Jamie's room where Haley had been nice enough to set up a cot for Olivia. She opened the door and tip-toed in, trying to be careful not to wake the sleeping children.

Brooke spotted Olivia, though it wasn't easy. She could hardly see in the dim light streaming in through the crack in the door. She bent down beside the little girl and stroked her messy hair.

Olivia stirred a little at the action, and after a moment her eyes fluttered open. "Mommy?" She asked, not sure who else would be waking her up.

"Yeah, it's me, baby," Brooke reassured her, her voice no louder than a whisper so she wouldn't wake Jamie as well.

"Where was you, Mommy?" The little girl asked. "I not see you all day," she pouted.

"Awwww, did you miss me?" Brooke asked her. And when she nodded, Brooke leaned over and gave her a hug. "I missed you too, but I thought about you all day long. Did you have a good day?" She asked her, going back to running her fingers through her hair.

Olivia nodded and let out a sleepy yawn. "I played basketball. And Lukie helped me slam-dunk!" She said her excitement visible even through her tiredness.

Brooke cocked an eyebrow at the little girl. So she had met Lucas. She knew the day would come, and selfishly, she couldn't help but feel relieved that she wasn't there. "Well that was nice of him," she said, speaking the truth. She was glad Lucas could at least be civil to his daughter if he couldn't claim her.

Even though part of her wanted to be angry, at Lucas and at the entire situation, I mean, he had no right to be with her. No right to act as if she was nothing more than some random's kid. But she made herself suck it up and be the bigger person. As long as Olivia seemed to be happy about the meetings she would keep her mouth shut.

"Yeah, it was," Olivia said, smiling. "I like Lukie best of all Mommy. He's so nice and so so so so fun," she told her, getting right in her mother's face and bobbing her head.

From her energy level, it was obvious to Brooke Olivia hadn't been asleep for too long. Brooke just smiled at Olivia, it was good to see the little girl so contented. Even though thinking about why she was so happy brought tears to her eyes. "I knew you would," she told the little girl as she quickly kissed her head. "Goodnight, Livvie Love. I love you," she added, standing up.

"I love you too Mommy. Night night," Olivia called as she watched her mother leave the room. And she let her eyes fall back closed, so she could return to sleep.

Okay...so I hoped you all liked this chapter-it was longer than most I know! We got some Lucas and Liv interaction, as well as Brooke still trying to deal. But things are starting to get more interesting...at least I think they are! I hope you guys are feeling the same way though! I will try to get a lot up for you during Spring Break!! Yay! And for those of you who are reading my other story, "Remeber Tonight..." I will definitely have an update on it this week, hopefully early in the week but we'll see. I still do have some assignments even though I'm on break. Ugh! Anyways, let me know what you thought! :) **Oh and what I always forget to write: This title, like all the others so far, is courtesy of A Fine Frenzy!

Audra