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

Chapter 11:

Breathe

"So seriously, there is not going to be a pucas wedding?" Rachel asked Haley in disbelief as she watched her friend make French toast. "Are you telling me that I came down here for nothing?" She asked in shock.

Haley turned and gave her a hurt glare. "You better watch it, Missy. I am the one cooking you breakfast," she reminded the red head, turning back to the stove.

Rachel laughed. "Sorry Hales, of course I have enjoyed seeing you. But, I mean, can that whore not get anything right? Now she has called off the wedding."

"Not exactly," Haley corrected her. "If you would ever let me finish my story then you would know."

"Know what?" Brooke asked, coming into the kitchen and stretching her arms high over her head. It had taken her awhile to fall asleep last night after her talk with Lucas. She tried to sort out all the feelings that were weighing down on her, but that was to no avail.

Rachel and Haley shared a glance with each other before turning their attention back to the brunette. It was an act that Brooke found very odd.

"Lucas and Peyton called off the wedding," Haley said gently, as both girls awaited Brooke's reaction.

Brooke let her arms fall to her sides and her mouth hung open. "What? Why?" She asked, clearly in shock as she took a seat on the vacant stool next to Rachel.

"That's what Haley was about to tell me before you busted in and got her off track again," Rachel told her, trying to be the one who lightened the mood in the room. She hated it when the emotions got too heavy.

Brooke ignored her comments and continued to stare at Haley for some type of answer. "When did this happen? What did they say?" She asked her voice full of concern.

"Lucas told me this morning that he talked to Peyton yesterday afternoon. He said after everything he found out that she had done and the events of the past few days that he couldn't marry her. He said she wasn't who he thought she was," Haley explained and set a plate down in front of Rachel.

"Yesterday?" Brooke asked confused. "I talked to Lucas last night and he didn't say anything about it. Why wouldn't he tell me?" She said, questioning the situation.

"Think about it," Rachel said. "Would you go around telling all your exes that you just broke off your wedding?" She asked her with a mouth full of food. "I mean, it was probably awkward to tell you he was getting married. But then to have to tell you that after everything it is not going to work out…"

Brooke looked at her confused. Sure she and Lucas had been together once, but they were friends now. Well, sort of. At the least they were starting to be co-parents so they had to be able to talk to each other. And how could they do that if he was just going to neglect to tell her things? "That makes no sense, Rach," she told her friend.

Haley turned around from where she had resumed cooking to offer the brown-headed girl her opinion. "Maybe he didn't mention it because he knew you would turn the whole discussion into a talk about the wedding, when in fact he was coming to talk to you about something more important. Give the guy a little credit, Brooke. He does know some things about you."

"Yeah, just like the two of us," Rachel said, gesturing between herself and Haley. "He knows that it is not humanly possible for you to drop a subject before you are ready to."

"And when exactly is the last time you let something go," Brooke snapped back at her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look, that's neither here nor there, girls. The point is that two of our friends just called off not only their wedding but their entire engagement," Haley said, still dumbfounded.

"Hate to break it to you, Hales," Rachel began. "But that bulimic bitch was never a friend of mine."

"And I found out I must have never been one of her real friends the hard way," Brooke agreed, swiping a bite of Rachel's breakfast. "So excuse me if I'm not all broken up about this."

"Like I always say," Rachel added, turning to face Brooke. "Payback is a bitch and you will always get what is coming to you in the end," she said then took a bite. "Oh and relationships built on lies and false pretenses never last."

"You guys," Haley screamed, banging her spatula down on the counter top. "Don't you realize there is another person in this equation?" She asked them in frustration. "I get it, I am not Peyton's biggest fan either at the moment, but Lucas is my best friend. Don't you think we should try and consider his feelings?"

Brooke nodded her head silently, and Rachel turned her eyes to the floor. Both girls had been so caught up in Peyton and the pent up anger and resentment they had against her that they hadn't even considered the other blonde in the scenario.

"You're right," Rachel agreed, surprising everyone. "I mean I always hated him for what he did to you, B, and Liv. But given everything that we have found out recently—everything that he has found out—I do feel bad for him. He has to be going through a lot."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "I can try and talk to him later if you want. I mean, I don't know how much he'll tell me. But Liv and I are supposed to go meet him later."

"Thanks Brooke," Haley said. "I couldn't get much out of him. He just kept saying he didn't want to really talk about it. So everything I know was everything I just told the two of you. But maybe since you two will be talking about some pretty deep stuff, what with discussing your daughter and everything, he might be more apt to share."

"No problem, Hales. I'll try, but like I said before, we aren't exactly besties so I'm not promising anything," Brooke smiled a hopeful, dimpled smile at her. "Now can I have a piece of French toast or what?" She asked her friend.

"Why do you need one?" Rachel asked. "You've almost eaten all mine, fat ass," she teased.

Haley laughed at the joke as Brooke shoved Rachel in the ribs. "Breakfast for Brooke, coming right up," Haley announced as she took a piece out of her pan and scooped it onto Brooke's plate.

Lucas woke up the next morning feeling better than he had the day before, but still nowhere near the way he wanted to feel. He had had a rough forty-eight hours prior to now and he still wasn't sure how to handle everything. Or what was going on in his broody head for that matter.

When he had found out he had seemingly been the only one left out of the "Lucas is a father" memo, he had been pissed as hell. But not only pissed, he was hurt and betrayed. He had no idea how people who claimed to have loved him could do that to him. But the strangest thing was, he held the most anger towards Peyton, his fiancé at the moment. And to Brooke, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and everything she had had to go through alone.

It was crazy right? He should have been screaming and cursing at her. Only when he went and talked to her, he had just wanted to make her feel better. He had taken everything on himself and…Peyton. Why was it so easy for him to blame her and write her off? And with Brooke, it was hard for him to even muster anything past agitation. Why was that?

Two days ago he was a seemingly happy guy who was about to be married. Now he was a single father who barely even knew his own daughter. How could his life have gone so off course so fast? This was so not his plan.

But you know what they say. If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. And maybe that had something to do with the fact that he had always wanted to have children of his own. Yet when Peyton found out she was unable to do that, he was willing to sacrifice his dream for her. Sure he would be a father, just not in the way he had planned. But someone else had other plans, because by the time he was choosing to stick with Peyton, he had already brought his own child into the world.

He was so grateful to Brooke it was hard to be mad. And especially after he had learned the whole truth, it was hard to blame her. Sure, he was still mad at the circumstances and the way the situation played out, but not so much at the brunette.

He knew it was going to be awkward, especially after Brooke found out about the wedding. She would go about blaming herself and lecturing Lucas on the fact that he and Peyton were soul-mates or some bull shit like that. He knew her all too well, and he definitely knew how she operated.

Brooke Davis would be too worried about her former best friend, and the fact that her world had been thrown into a tail spin since the moment she had shown up to care about anything else. She would put her own wants aside and focus on the other side of the situation. Maybe because she had the biggest heart Lucas had ever seen, or maybe because she was simply afraid. Afraid to have the focus on her for once.

Whatever the case, he wasn't going to be swayed by her attempts at distracting him. Or the way she would try to divert his focus. He was determined. And the thing he was most sure of today was the fact that he was going to make up for all the time he had lost with his beautiful little girl.

It was Saturday, and Brooke had every intention of continuing her tradition with her daughter. Since Rachel had bailed on them to go hang out with Dean once again, it was going to be just her and Olivia, which was fine. She had thought of inviting Haley and Jamie, but then she realized with Nathan only being in town for a few more days, they probably wanted as much family time as possible. Plus she and Olivia hadn't had much alone time since they got here so she was looking forward to that.

She put on a deep purple maxi dress and some flat sandals. Then she threw her hair into a messy bun and proceeded to wake Olivia and get her ready. She got Olivia dressed in a dainty pink and white pillowcase dress and the two girls headed to town. She might not have lived in Tree Hill for awhile, but she still knew the best places to shop.

"Mommy, I's hungry," Olivia told her mom as she was holding onto her hand, walking down the middle to town.

"Okay, Liv," Brooke told her. "I'll find you some breakfast." She had forgotten the two children had slept all morning. They had been up practically all night though due to their late afternoon/evening naps so it had all balanced out.

The two strolled by Karen's Café and Brooke decided it would be the perfect place to treat Olivia to some food. It wasn't like Tree Hill had many other options right in the middle of town. Plus, Karen's café always used to have wonderful breakfast; she hoped they were still just as good.

They walked in and took a seat in a booth next to one of the larger pane glass windows on the restaurant's side. She sat on one side and Olivia climbed up onto the other.

"Now you have to sit like a big girl if you aren't going to sit by Mommy," Brooke told her, looking at her with a warning glance. One that told Olivia to be on her best behavior.

"Yes, Mommy," Olivia smiled and wiggled in her seat. She curled her legs up under her so she was at a proper height to see onto the table. "Mommy, I's see your phone?" Olivia asked her, holding her hands out.

"Sure," Brooke smiled and handed the little girl her iphone. Thank God for all the applications on that thing. And Olivia was so smart she knew how to work it without ever having to ask Brooke for help. The phone was almost better than a babysitter at times.

While Brooke was scanning the menu, a bubbly young waitress came over to their table. "Hi, I'm Sydney and I'm going to be taking care of you two this morning," she said, speaking with a thick Southern drawl. "What can I get you two to drink?"

"Umm, an orange juice for her please, with a lid if you have it. And for me, hmmm, I think I'll just have a café latte please," Brooke answered her with a smile.

"Sounds good," Sydney told her. "I'll be right back with those and to take your order."

Brooke nodded and looked over at Olivia. "So, what are you think about for breakfast?" She asked the little girl.

Olivia put down the phone and looked in her mom's face. "I want's pancakes, Mommy. They's my favorite!" She squealed excitedly.

"But baby," Brooke started. "They are soooo sticky and messy. I mean, wouldn't you rather have something like toast or oatmeal? Or look, this biscuit looks good." She offered, trying to persuade the little girl.

"You have that," Olivia said, glaring at her mom. "I want's pancakes." And Olivia's smile suddenly changed from a smile to a pout.

"Awww, c'mon, let her have pancakes, Mom," Lucas encouraged, walking over the table. He couldn't help but overhearing the girl's conversation as he came in the café for his morning coffee.

"Lukie!" Olivia squealed, throwing Brooke's phone across the table at her. "Eat breakfast with us, Lukie. You can have pancakes like me," she said, smiling widely.

Lucas looked to Brooke for approval before answering the little girl. He didn't know why, even though she was his daughter and he had every right, he felt like an outsider. But when Brooke nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders he happily climbed into the booth with them.

Sydney came back with their drinks and took their orders. Brooke gave in and let Olivia have the breakfast of her choice. How could she not, especially when Lucas ordered the exact same thing.

Brooke took a sip of her coffee and then turned to watch Lucas and Olivia. Olivia was showing him how to work one of her drawing games on Brooke's phone. It was so cute the way they interacted with each other; she couldn't help but smile at them.

"So what are you two doing today?" Lucas asked, looking up from the phone to look at Brooke. His face was eager and hopeful as he awaited her response.

"Well Olivia, Rachel, and I kind of have this tradition of breakfast out and shopping every Saturday," she explained to him. "So I figured just because we're in a different town doesn't mean the traditions should change. Boy was I wrong, because Rachel has blown us off for a date with some Dean guy she met at Jamie's party," she vented to him.

Lucas laughed at her. He found it hilarious that even though so much had changed; when she talked to him like this it was as if no time had passed at all.

"It's not funny," Brooke snapped at him, playfully slapping his hand that rested on the table. "You cannot just break traditions, right Liv?" She asked the little girl.

"Right," Olivia agreed, nodding her head absentmindedly. She hadn't heard what her mother had said, but just like with pretty much anything else, she agree with her when she was asked.

"We don't need Aunt Rachel, do we?" She asked her again, smiling down at her daughter.

"Nope, not Natie either" Olivia said, putting down the phone and now turning her head from side to side. "We gots Lukie!" She screamed and lunged herself at Lucas.

Brooke and Lucas both laughed at the little girl's enthusiasm. It could be hard to contain it at times.

Lucas smiled as he hugged the little girl who held tightly to him, and he could help but think how right all of this felt. Being here with Olivia, and Brooke. Everything was alright, as long as they kept things causal. He was just waiting to see if it stayed that way when the topics of conversation got a little heavier.

After everyone had eaten, Brooke and Lucas paid their tickets and were getting ready to part ways.

"Thanks for letting me crash your breakfast," He told Brooke, as he stood up from the table.

Brooke smiled at him. "It was fine, really," she told him. "Olivia seemed to enjoy your company."

"And I liked spending time with her too," he smiled. "Maybe we can do it again, sometime soon," he suggested, looking at Brooke for confirmation.

Brooke picked up Olivia and nodded her head. "Sure Luke," she said, and turned to walk away.

Olivia was waving Lucas towards her and called out over her mom's shoulder, "C'mon Lukie, you gonna miss shopping!"

As soon as Brooke heard her daughter's words she knew she had to get out of the café. Either way this scenario played out, unless it involved Lucas taking himself out of the situation, she sensed she was going to be spending the entire day with Lucas Scott.

Lucas walked behind the girls, since he had been going outside anyway. "How about next time, Liv?" He asked her. "You and Mommy should have a girl's day."

"No," Olivia pouted, jutting her bottom lip out faster than Lucas had ever seen anyone do. "We gotsta have three people. Me and mommy only two."

"Olivia," Brooke tried to calm the little girl, setting her down so she could look at her face. "Lucas might be busy today. And besides that he doesn't even like shopping. We can do something with him another time though," she offered in exchange for her happiness.

"NO!" Olivia screamed, stomping her little foot. "I wants him to go today!" And cue the waterworks.

Brooke rolled her eyes. She had been through this too many times. And now, she felt sorry for Lucas. He had seen the good side of parenthood, but with that comes the not so easy times. A time like Olivia was showing him right now. "Baby, remember the rules. Girls only," she reminded her.

Lucas walked over and crouched down next to Brooke. "Hey don't cry, pretty girl," He told Olivia, taking her tiny hands in his own. "If your mom doesn't mind me tagging along, I would like nothing more than to spend the morning shopping with you."

Olivia instantly dried up the tears, and a huge dimpled smile appeared on her face. "Yay!" She yelled and clung to his neck. "We gonna have so much fun!"

Lucas smiled, the entire time he couldn't help but think how much she reminded him of Brooke. Speaking of which, he once again looked to the brunette to make sure she didn't mind him joining them. "So is it alright if you break the rules just this once?" He asked her, sending her one of his boyish grins.

Brooke rolled her eyes at him. "I guess those rules don't mean much anyway, seeing as Rachel already broke the cardinal one," she said and she stood up. The she took a hold of the little girl's hand, "Come on, Liv. Let's show Lucas how this is done."

And the two girls walked off ahead of him. And Lucas could help but think how lucky he was to get to share in this moment with them.

Rachel was sitting on the couch enjoying some primetime television when the door popped open. It was about time her friend arrived back at home, she had been here alone since her lunch date ended hours ago.

"Well you look exhausted," Rachel commented as Brooke and Olivia strolled into the house. Brooke's eyes were low and her face pretty much expressionless.

"Don't start with me," Brooke said shortly, walking over and collapsing in an overstuffed, tan armchair.

"Auntie Rachie," Olivia greeted her, running over and jumping on her lap. "We went shopping with Lukie 'cause you not come. Looks what I got, a new dolly!"

"And that explains it," Rachel nodded, smiling in Olivia's face and then looking over to her friend. She cut off the television, ready to give Brooke her full attention.

Brooke had curled her lithe body into a ball. Her eyes were closed and she was fiercely massaging her own temples. Every ounce of the girl's body looked as if it was tensed up.

"Hey Liv, why don't you go pick us out a game to play in Jamie's room," Rachel suggested to her, setting the little girl off her lap and onto the floor. "I'm going to talk to Mommy for a minute and I'll be right up," she told her with a reassuring smile.

"Okay," Olivia nodded and she bounded out of the room, not giving the girls she was leaving behind a second thought. "But hurry up. I no wanna play by myself. That is bor-ring!" She screamed as she bounded out of the room dragging her doll behind her.

"Rachel, I told you not to start," Brooke warned, opening her eyes to slits so she could glare at the stubborn girl. Once she had finished speaking she resumed her temple massage.

"So what's the deal?" Rachel prodded, ignoring her friend's words. "You just up and ask Lucas to go shopping with you? Kind of random, don't you think?"

"No," Brooke snapped. "He invited himself. Or Olivia invited him. I can't really remember. But I did not ask him. It was all them and I feel like I have entered some alternate universe."

"Why? What happened?" Rachel asked, feeling concern for her friend. She thought she was being kind of melodramatic, but that was Brooke a lot of the time. You just had to search her to see when her antics were actually something worth getting worked up over.

Brooke let a humungous sigh escape her pouty lips. "Nothing…everything!" She screamed flinging her arms in the air and letting her feet hit the ground with a thud. "I'm supposed to hate him. I'm not supposed to be hanging out with him and talking with him as if nothing happened. It can't be that easy!"

Rachel laughed; she could have seen this coming from all the way in California. Because if there was one thing Lucas Scott had always been good at, it was drawing her best friend in. "Sometimes it is easy, she simply said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well thanks for that insight Dr. Phil. I'll be sure to ask your opinion next time I'm having a crisis," Brooke snidely said, rolling her eyes. How was Rachel finding this situation funny?

"Brooke, calm down. You're not having a crisis," Rachel told her.

"Yes I am!" Brooke argued. "I don't know what is what anymore. Everything I thought was a truth; well it was totally the opposite. And I don't know what to do, what to think. I'm lost," She sighed, letting her head fall into her palm.

"You're not lost," Rachel said, turning her friend's words around on her once again. "You are simply dealing with new information. And in your case, the information is taking an extremely long time to process due to its sensitive nature."

"What?" Brooke asked, looking at her confused. She was in no mood for psycho-babble. All she wanted to do was go soak in the hot tub for about two hour, preferably alone, with a bottle of wine.

"You have forced yourself into a certain mindset due to the things you believed to be true. Your view of the world was built around these few truths, the fact that Lucas told you he wanted no part of yours or your daughter's life. When in realities, those 'truths' weren't truths at all. They were lies, lies created by a person who was like a family member to you. Finding out everything that you based the way you live your day-to-day life on is a life. I'd say that something pretty huge to deal with. Not a crisis though, just a readjustment in thinking," Rachel explained to her.

Brooke just stared at her. Her friend couldn't be closer to the truth, but just when had she gotten so smart? "When did you become my shrink?" She asked her, tilting her head to her side and raising one of her manicured eyebrows at her.

"Heh, I've always been your shrink," she told her with a deep chuckle. "Now look, you look like you need some time to regroup. I am pretty sure the Naleys won't be home for a couple of hours at least. In the dining room they have a killer wine stash. Now I suggest you go grab you a bottle of Zinfandel and cozy up somewhere where you can unwind. I've got Liv."

Brooke smiled at her. Rachel always made her feel as if she were an open book when it came to emotional issues. "Thanks Rach," she said appreciatively. "I really owe you."

"I know you do, whorebag," Rachel laughed, hoping her friend would do the same. But she guessed she would have to settle with the smile that flashed across her features for now. "You want me to come join you when I get Olivia to sleep?" She asked her.

Brooke waited for a moment before answering. She wanted her alone time, but it might also be good to try and talk her feelings out some more with Rachel. For some reason, saying what she was feeling out loud always helped her to get a better grip on the situation.

"I'll be in the hot tub," she finally told her. And she went to her room to change into her swimsuit before heading outside to try and relax.

So here is the next chapter for all of my wonderful readers!! You guys are the best, especially those of you who take the time to let me know your feelings about the story and its issues!! I hope you all enjoyed this part!! My life as of late is pretty hectic, and is even going to get more so, so updates may be a little more sporadic. (Just a warning, not a promise) But lucky for you I have about four more chapters of this story already written, so it should be relatively easy for me to update. Plus, no matter how crazy things get, I always seem to find time for the things I like, such as writing and posting on here! So no fear, I was just letting you know in case something comes up! :) And as I always forget to say...I have to come back and add it in everytime...the title is borrowed from Taylor Swift. Can you tell I get on music kicks when I'm writing or what? Ha! Hope you all liked this installment...there is more to come!! Ideas and suggestions are welcome, as well as crticisms.

Audra