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

Chapter 13:

Goodbye my Almost Lover

Brooke woke up the next morning, totally uncomfortable and feeling like she had an ungodly crick in her neck. She tried to work it out to no avail, so she rolled over and landed on the floor with a thud.

"Mmmm, I want pancakes," Brooke heard a voice mumble almost incoherently.

"What the hell?" She quietly asked herself as she rubbed her hip in pain. She looked to see where the voice was coming from and she spotted the exact source.

There was Lucas Scott, curled up on the couch opposite her. He was sleeping rather soundly, and then she remembered much like Olivia, it would take a full blown brass band to wake him out of his slumber.

But why was he here? She thought she remembered him leaving. But then again, she also thought she had remembered falling asleep in her own bed. Sure enough though, here she was, still in the purple caftan she had slipped over her bathing suit.

"I guess I was more tired than I thought," she said aloud, standing up and trying to work the crick out of her neck. But she gave up…it was impossible. She would just have to keep her head straight today.

She started to make her way to the kitchen, but she all of a sudden found herself falling. And then there she was, on the ground once again.

"Damn that stupid crick!" She curse aloud, stomping her foot against the hardwood floors. And the end table she had run into fell as well, one of the books it had displayed landing on her hand. "Ouch!" She screamed again, this was worse than something you would see in some dumb comedy show. At least before when she had fallen it had been on a rug.

"Wh-what's going on?" Lucas asked, bolting up from his sleep and sitting straight up on the couch. He adjusted his eyes and found Brooke sitting on the floor. "Why are you sitting on the floor?" He asked her, tilting his head to the side as he spoke.

Brooke just turned around and glared at him. Only someone who was still practically asleep would ask such a stupid question. "Well it sure wasn't intentional," she snapped back. "Just go back to sleep."

"No, I'm up now," he told her, stretching his arms up above his head. "Want me to make some coffee?"

"I'm already on it," she shot back, not in the mood for conversation. She stood up and headed to the kitchen, mumbling under her breath, "This is soooo not my freaking day."

She stood in the kitchen making the coffee and she thought she heard a knock at the door. But she was sure she was mistaken and that it had to be Liv coming down from upstairs, because who would be coming by at this time of morning.

She heard some movement followed by some faint voices. She called into the other room, "Luke is that Liv?" And when she didn't get an answer she walked around the corner back into the living room.

When she entered the room she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her eyes. "Nate?" She managed to squeak out with what little voice she could find. Lucas and Nate were standing face to face in the doorway—could this scene get any more awful?

"Brooke, what is this?" He asked, pushing past Lucas and entering the house. He set his suitcase on the floor as he moved closer to the brunette.

"Nate, uh, I," she stammered out. She had no clue why she was stuttering right now, she had nothing to hide. It wasn't like anything was going on with her and Lucas.

"Ummm, I'm gonna take off," Lucas called to Brooke and then he exited out from door. He wasn't sure who this Nate guy was, but it seemed his presence was doing more harm than good at the present moment.

"What's going on?" Nate continued to question her, not sure of what was going on right in front of him. "I come down here to surprise you and it looks like I am the one who ends up totally knocked on their ass."

Brooke smiled, she was happy to see him. She just wished he wasn't acting like this over some little situation. "Chill out, Nate. You are being irrational," she insisted, walking into the kitchen.

"You're the one who spends the night with another guy and I'm being irrational? Unbelievable," he said loudly, shaking his head from side to side.

"I did not spend the night with Lucas!" Brooke screamed, flinging her hands in the air. If he could get angry, so could she. After all, she had a lot of emotions that she had yet to give an outlet to.

"Really? What do you call it then?" He asked her. "Because it sure as hell looked like you both just rolled out of the bed."

"Well we did…but let me explain," she changed her plan of action when she noticed Nate's expression getting more closed off. "You wouldn't have come all this way if you didn't think I was worth an explanation," she tried to persuade him, hopping onto one of the bar stools.

Nate folded his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting," he told her, standing there with his face locked on her.

"Lucas did spend the night last night, but not in the way you are thinking. He was hanging out with Liv and I guess we both fell asleep. I didn't even know he was over here until I woke up and found him on the other couch," Brooke insisted, gesturing to the other room where the sofas were. "You have to believe me."

"I do believe you," he said, his features softening some. "I just don't like the thought of my extremely gorgeous girlfriend spending the night with her exes," he added, moving closer to where she was sitting.

Brooke relaxed into his touch. She immediately felt bad for making him doubt her, even for a second. But she had to be strong, and she had to be straight with him. "Nate, some things have changed since I got down here," she began. "Basically pretty much everything I held as truth was shattered. And short version—Lucas is going to be in mine and Olivia's lives now."

Nate looked at her confused, Brooke had only been gone a little over a week, and surely that much hadn't changed. But he just nodded his head; he knew he would get the full story from her later on. But right now he just wanted to enjoy being back with his girl. And he needed to show her he wasn't going anywhere.

"So did you have a nice surprise waiting for you this morning?" Rachel asked her friend who was waiting on the other end of the phone.

"You knew he was coming?!?" Brooke shrieked. "A little forewarning would have really been nice, Rach, seeing as how I felt like I was completely ambushed this morning."

"What are you talking about?" The red head asked her. "I thought you would be thrilled to see Nate, after all, you had wanted him down here all along."

"I am happy to see him, yes," Brooke explained. "But when he got here this morning, let's just say it wasn't the best situation for him to walk into."

Rachel nodded her head as if Brooke could see her through the phone. "Uh, Huh, elaborate please," she encouraged. She was hooked on the story; because if there was one thing she truly loved it was juicy gossip.

Brooke groaned under her breath, she knew her best friend was going to get a kick out of this. "Well let's just say that today isn't exactly my day. And when Nate got here early this morning, he wasn't greeted by a certain brunette girlfriend, but a certain blonde ex," she said, leaning back on the couch as she spoke.

"Nooooo!" Rachel screamed, and threw a hand over her mouth. "I so wish I could have been there; jealous Nate equals hot Nate. Except, wait, why was Lucas at the house so early?" She asked.

"Because he spent the night," Brooke admitted. And before Rachel could get a word in after her incredibly loud gasp, she added. "But nothing happened, so don't even go there. It wasn't like that."

"Sure it wasn't," Rachel teased, "That's what they always say. Look at little Brookie Davis, stuck right in the middle of a hot guy sandwich. You know I am so jealous of you right now. I could j—" She was cut off.

"Enough, Rachel," Brooke warned her. "There is no sandwich. Nothing is going on here. I am still with Nate, and Lucas…well he is Olivia's father and that's it."

"Are you sure that's it?" Rachel asked her, sensing there was more to the brunette's words than what she was actually saying.

Brooke took a deep breath and then opened her mouth to answer. "Yes, that's all," she said, hanging her head. "We have both moved on and that ship has sailed. I'm with Nate—" Now it was Rachel's turn to interrupt.

"So you keep saying," she started. "But for some reason you are not sounding very convincing. It's like in that play, oh what's it called…Anyway, where you have to say something so many times because it is false, but you are just trying to convince everyone, including yourself that it is the truth."

Brooke rolled her eyes; she could not believe she was hearing this coming from Rachel. "Okay, well that was enough psycho-babble for me for one day. Now if you don't mind, Nate is taking me and Olivia down town for lunch and I need to get ready," she said, quickly and plainly.

"Whatever you say, Lady," the redhead agreed. "But just remember the truth has ways of revealing itself," she added, her voice sounding light and mysterious.

"Okay, crazy," Brooke laughed. "Now I have to go. I will see you when you get back tonight. Bye."

"Bye," Rachel called hanging up the phone. If she knew her friend, she could tell she was in for some drama up ahead.

"So where is good?" Nate asked as he drove his rental car down the streets of Tree Hill. Brooke was in the passenger's seat, and Olivia was contently singing to herself in her car seat.

Brooke turned from where she was absentmindedly staring out the window to face him at his words. "I'm sorry, what?" She asked, completely oblivious to what he had just said.

Nate stopped at the red light in front of him and placed his hand on Brooke's thigh. "Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" He asked her, getting a smile from the brunette.

"Nothing," she quickly responded, shaking her hair from side to side. "I just spaced out for a minute. What was it you asked me?"

Nate turned his eyes back to the road and proceeded through the now green light. "Just wondering where we should eat," he told her. "But this place here looks good," he said as he parked right in front of Karen's Café.

Brooke smiled at him as she looked from the building to his face. "It is actually extremely good. It used to be owned by Lucas's mom. I mean, that's who the Karen in the name is," she explained to him, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning around to unfasten Olivia's car seat buckle.

"Oh," Nate answered her. "Well we can go somewhere else if you would prefer," he suggested, taking his time as he got out of the car.

"No, this place is fine. Besides, it's not like there are that many choices her," she said as she led Olivia around to the side of the car he was standing on.

"Alright," he nodded. "Let's go then." And he led Brooke into the café by a hand he firmly placed on the small of her back.

Once inside Olivia ran over to one of the booths on the restaurant's far side. "Let's sit here Mommy," she called as she climbed up into the seat.

"Looks like the perfect spot," Brooke agreed as she took a seat on the opposite side of the booth from Olivia.

"Natie, sit by me!" Olivia called, raising her little fists up into the air.

Nate laughed, and turned to Brooke for approval.

Brooke in response shrugged her shoulders and gestured for him to sit down. "There is no saying no to that one. Or have you forgotten?" She asked him with a giggle.

"Nope," he shook his head from side to side as he spoke. "That I definitely remember. So what's good here Livvie?" He asked the little girl who sat beside him.

"I likes mac and cheese," she told him with a dimpled grin. "Its goo-ood!"

Nate laughed, "Okay then. What are you going to have, Brooke?" He asked the girl sitting across from him.

"Hmmm, I'm not really sure," she admitted to him. "I like the hamburger steak. But I think I'm more in the mood for a salad."

"Go for the meat," Nate suggested to her. "It's not like it would hurt your figure any," he added with a wink.

Brooke smiled coyly back at him. "I may just do that," she said softly.

And then in an instant the adult's moment was interrupted by Olivia's shrill screams.

"Lukie! Lukie!" She cried out. "Come sit over here with us!" She screamed once more waving her tiny arms at him and almost hitting Nate in the face.

Lucas approached the table, not being one to ignore his daughter when she called out to him. "Hi Liv," he said once he reached their table. "Brooke, and Nate was it?," he greeted them neutrally.

"Yeah, Nate Archibald," Nate simply nodded his head and waved a hand at Lucas, while Brooke looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Sit Lukie," Olivia instructed. "There by Mommy," she told him pointing at the empty booth space next to her mother.

Lucas turned his face apologetic pretty quickly. He didn't want to miss spending time with Olivia, but he really didn't want to spend time with Brooke and whoever this Nate Archibald guy was either. Plus from the hole Nate was boring into the side of his face; he could tell he wanted him to be anywhere but here. "Liv, I'm just picking up some food. I have to get back to my house," he told her.

"Oh, well maybe next time," Brooke spoke sweetly, talking more to her daughter than to Lucas though.

"No, this time!" Olivia screamed, banging her fists on the table. "Stay Lukie! Stay!"

"Olivia, what did I tell you about acting like this?" Brooke warned her.

"Hmmph," Olivia pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want Lukie."

With this, Lucas's heart melted. He could turn down the little girl, though in reality he knew he was making it harder for Brooke by reinforcing her bad behavior. "I guess I could stay for a little while," he suggested. "That is if your mom doesn't mind."

Brooke looked up at him and let her shoulders fall to her sides in defeat. "Since you've already given into her, we would never hear the end of it if you didn't stay now," she said, speaking in a strict tone. Not that she minded Lucas hanging around he was just going to have to stop undermining her parental choices.

Nate started to get up to switch sides of the booth with Lucas, but before he could the blonde had already slide himself comfortably into the seat next to Brooke. Nate glared at him as he watched Lucas smile at Brooke apologetically a gesture she returned with an understanding smile of her own.

Just then a waitress approached the side of the booth. "So it looks like we'll need another drink over here," she commented, looking at the table's new addition. "What can I get ya?" She asked Lucas.

"I'll have a sweet tea, thanks," He responded, tipping his head down at her.

"Sure, whatever you need" she said, smiling flirtatiously back at him as she batted her eyelashes. "I'm Cassidy by the way. I'll be right back with your drink."

Brooke laughed once the girl had walked away. "Wow. Someone was trying pretty hard," she said, playfully hitting Lucas's arm with the back of her hand.

Lucas laughed a little embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Nate agreed with Brooke. "If Lucas gave her half a chance, we could have made this a double date," he said, playing it off as a joke, when clearly he was just making it known where he and Brooke stood.

"Nah," Lucas disagreed with him, raising his face to meet Nate's emerald eyes. "She's not my type. I'm more into brunettes," he said flatly, watching Nate's smirk change to a glare as the words rolled off his tongue.

"Game on, Lucas Scott," Nate thought to himself. The guy may be weaseling himself back into Brooke's life but he wasn't going to get any further. That girl—his girl—was off limits. And it was time he made that perfectly clear. He wasn't exactly sure if this was the angle Lucas had been taking with his comment, but he had no intentions of waiting in the wings to find out. Time to tumble.

"Olivia seems pretty attached to Lucas," Nate commented once he and Brooke were back at Nathan and Haley's house. They had had an awkward lunch with Lucas to say the least.

Brooke looked up from the television show she was watching to meet Nate's stare. Ever since their meal earlier in the day, Nate had been acting super strange. "Not anymore than she is with anyone else," Brooke responded. "You know how she is, she gets easily attached."

"Yeah, she's a sweet girl, but you're lying to yourself if you think she acts this way with everyone," Nate continued. "I just…" He let the end of his sentence fall off.

"You just what?" Brooke asked curiously with a lift of her eyebrow. "You're just jealous that Olivia has another guy in her life?" She asked teasing him.

"No," Nate answered, shaking his head. "I can handle a little competition," he laughed to her. "But seriously, Brooke," he began once more, his tone becoming somber. "I am just worried about her. She's a little kid and there is only so much she can take, so much she can understand."

"What are you getting at?" She asked him. He was being kind of cryptic. Why couldn't he just spit it out?

"Never mind," Nate said, when he realized Brooke wasn't catching on. Maybe he didn't have the same fears, or maybe she hadn't thought that far ahead. "Forget I mentioned anything."

Brooke put a hand on his arm, pulling his attention back to her. "No, Nate. Whatever it is, I want to hear it. Your opinions matter to me," she said, encouraging him to speak.

"Well," he began, taking a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just worried about how Olivia is going to react to everything. She is only three and that is a lot of information for a child of that age to process. Hell, it would be a lot of information for me to process."

Brooke looked at him, her expression turning thoughtful. Sure, she had thought about how Olivia might react, but she guessed she never followed through with those thoughts.

"And I mean, how is she going to feel when we all pack up and go home?" He asked Brooke, continuing with his concerns. "Will she understand that Daddy has to stay here? And how will she deal with that?"

Brooke's head was now spinning. She had hoped Olivia would be thrilled to learn about Lucas being her father. Sure, she would be confused at first, but she already liked Lucas a lot. It should be easy. Now Nate was throwing all the complex parts of the situation at her and she just didn't want to think about it. Not now at least.

"I don't know," Brooke breathed, releasing a heavy breath she had been containing. "I guess I really have a lot to think about before I tell her."

"And one of those things being if now is the right time to tell her," Nate said, trying to sway Brooke in her decision making process.

Brooke just nodded her head. She knew Lucas wanted Olivia in his life, but maybe now wasn't the best time.

Finally!! I know it has been forever and I am soooo sorry!! It has been awful trying to finish this year of school...there was just so much to do at the end and then finals so...But I am soooo excited it is over!! And I have a two week break...I know, sucks to be me with no summer!! But I am getting married in a week, so YAY!!! I will try to have another chapter posted for you all soon, but don't be too upset if it takes me a little while bc I will be running around crazy with wedding stuff! Thanks to everyone for sticking with me...I know I have pretty much sucked at posting lately...Hope you all liked this chapter!! Let me know what you loved and/or hated!! :) Title from a Fine Frenzy again...One of my faves!

Audra