"I push it!" Easton jumped on the elevator excited.

"Alright dude," Clay chuckled, stepping in behind him. "Hit…this one…" he pointed to the higher level and Easton pushed on his tip toes to light up the button. "Good job," he chuckled, ruffling his hair.

Easton bouncing on his feet as they road it up, him always finding the elevator fun. Especially the one at the mall where its glass and he can see out.

"Ok," Clay reached down for Easton's hand which he took, and they walked off. Heading down the hall, smiling at a few passing people and arriving on the hall Lucas's office was on.

"Hello," Easton gripped the side of the desk and pushed up on his toes.

"Well hello," Claire smiled at the cute little blonde boy. "Aren't you gorgeous," she smiled, him licking his top lip as he looked at her. "Can I help you sir?"

"Lucas," he answered simply and Clay chuckled.

"We are going to lunch with Luke," he told her and she nodded getting it. "But we can wait until he is finished."

"He isn't busy," she informed him. "Ya'll can head in now," she waved her hand and pulled open her drawer. "But…" she pulled out a small sucker. "Would he like one?" she held up the sucker, Lucas telling her she might want to keep some treats in her desk for when kids come in with their parents. Keeps them entertained.

"East, what do you say?" Clay placed his hand on his head and tilted it up to look at him.

"Pwease?" he smiled big and Claire laughed.

"Of course cutie," she handed it to him and he lit up. "He is so gorgeous Clay," she rested her chin on her hand, swearing a guy with a child just got that much hottier. "Who is he?"

"Oh," Clay cleared his throat a bit. "Brooke's, he's Brooke's little boy," he explained and watch the look flash over her.

"Well I will admit, she makes cute kids," she said, knowing Brooke had a son, but never actually seeing him before.

"Yeah, he isn't bad," he teased. "But come on kiddo," he nodded towards the door, Easton holding tight onto his sucker as they walked towards it. Clay gripping the handle and turning it, revealing the blonde standing there and staring out the big window. A look of pain taking over his face and body.

"Lucas!" Easton squealed, taking off to the blonde as he turned to face him.

"Hey Little Man," he smiled, Clay seeing what looked to be his first real smile in weeks. Lucas bending down to lift the small boy in his arms.

"Look what I got," he held up his watermelon sucker.

"That's awesome man," Lucas chuckled, not wanting to admit just how much he has missed this little boy. Of course he missed Brooke, he was going nuts thinking about her but it surprised even him how much the absence of this little boy hurt his heart.

"You ready to go Luke?"

"Yeah, Nate is downstairs so we can meet him there," he told him, grabbing his wallet from the desk along with his keys. "I'm heading to lunch, Claire... Want me to bring you anything?"

"No I'm ok, I might head on break when I'm done sending off some emails, if you don't mind?"

"That's fine."

"Ok, thanks. Have a good lunch, bye Easton," she waved and he giggled a goodbye.

"I wike her," Easton whispered as they stepped on the elevator and the older men laughed.

"Probably shouldn't tell Brooke that," Clay laughed, Lucas trying to chuckle but just like always the mention of the brunette hurt.

He missed her.

"Did…did you see Brooke before you left?" he asked slowly, not knowing how to approach all the questions he wanted to ask. Grinning at the frustrated look on Easton's face as he tried to open his sucker, after a moment helping him.

"Tank you…" he stuck it in his mouth.

"I…did…" he spoke slowly. "But she didn't say much…"

"Oh, ok."

"But she misses you, that I know."

"Yeah," Lucas frowned, playing with a string on Easton's shirt. "But food, what do you want to eat?"

"Whatever works," he shrugged, knowing when Lucas wanted to drop a conversation.

"Ok," the door dung and they stepped off, Nathan standing there leaning against his car. "Hey man what's up?"

"Just waiting for you two," the dark haired boy shrugged. "Hey little dude," he held up his hand and Easton gave him a sticky knuckle touch. "Nice," he chuckled, wiping his hand on his pants as the guys laughed.

"But, you ready to go?" Clay asked and he nodded. "Cool, let's take my car though; I have all of Easton's stuff in it."

"Works for me, I call shot gun," Nathan teased and Lucas rolled his eyes as they headed over to the car and climbed in.

"So is she doing ok?" Nathan asked as he and his friend walked slowly behind the blonde.

"Slowly…" Clay let out a dry laugh, not really sure. "What about Luke?" he raised a brow and got a half shrug.

"Same…" he admitted, hearing the light giggle fill around them.

"What color was it?" Lucas asked as he walked to lunch.

"Black and red," Easton repeated, again playing the Lucas's necklace, a weird habit he had formed. "But I can't find it Lucas…" he whined and the blonde chuckled. "Sink Lily has it?"

"I don't know little man," Lucas admitted, Easton explaining the story of how he lost his racecar and thought he forgot it at his mom's place. "But I bet we can get you a new one…"

"But momma got me dat one," he frowned, Lucas's heart tightening at the thought of the dark haired beauty. "We got waffles and my car," he informed him of the day's events of when he got his racecar. It being a few months back, right before Brooke and Lucas's first date. "I had choc milk."

"Oh choc milk, I haven't had that in a while," he laughed and Easton got a different.

"Don't worry, we get you some," he patted his head and the guys laughed.

"You know," Nathan cleared his throat a moment, before he said what he was about to, not sure if he should or not. "There is something I want to tell you guys but, but don't freak on me. "

"Ok…" Lucas and Clay shared a look before looking back at their dark haired friend.

"Haley and I are trying," he told them and they looked at him confused. "We are trying guys," he nodded his head at Easton and their eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," he let out a smile. "Haley always wanted to start her family young," he ruffled Easton's hair. "And it's like the more she spent time with Easton, the more she wanted one of her own. And since we are in a real good place, why not?"

"Don't you want to be married first? Enjoy the honeymoon period and stuff?" Clay questioned and he shook his head.

"It's like we are already married. We live together, have jobs, are engaged," he shrugged. "Plus in two months we will be married. Even if she gets pregnant today we can still enjoy the honeymoon," and the guys chuckled. "Plus Haley wants a baby and I want Haley happy. And I won't lie," he smiled over at the little blonde boy. "I'm kinda excited to be a dad."

"Yeah, it's great," Lucas let out a dry laugh, looking at Easton. Knowing the few months he got to spend, playing 'house' with Brooke just showed him how much he wanted a family. "So I'm happy for you man," he clamped his hand on his brother's shoulder and smiled. "Yet, let's just hope for a boy, not a girl," he joked, knowing a girl would drive Nathan nuts. He would most likely lock her in a closet all through her teenage years.

"Yeah," Nathan laughed a bit, swearing a little girl would destroy him. Them walking further down the street as they headed towards the restaurant.

"But hey, I was thinking about-"

'Clay?'

The voice traveled behind him making Clay freeze mid-sentence. A chill running up his spine as his jaw locked and his gaze lifted forward to the man a few feet away from him. He looked different, a hell of a lot different than from the last time he had seen him. His hair was longer than it once was and black, not its normally light blonde, his jaw held what was a start of a beard and to was black. His nose had a twist to it that it never had before, how he wasn't sure, nor did he care. He looked different, though. He honestly looked different from the photos Lucas had from a few weeks before, it bothered him how much he changed, he didn't like it. He honestly wouldn't have recognized him if it wasn't for one small feature, the long scar that started at the corner of his eye and trailed down to tip of his beard. He would never forget that.

"Carter…" his hands gripped and Lucas's head snapped to his friend then back at the man before them. His arm tightening around the boy in his arms as he looked around and played with Lucas's necklace. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in town," he smiled, shuffling his feet closer and eyes widening at the little boy just feet away from him. "I…" he tried to look around to get a better look but Clay side stepped to block the view.

"What do you want Carter?" he asked, feeling the blood boil in his veins.

"I'm in town," he mumbled still keeping his eyes on the little boy. "He's so big," he let a hurt laugh looking at him, amazed at how much he had grown in the last few months.

"What do you want?" Clay's tone got tighter and Nathan tossed a glance between the group confused.

"I…"

"Daddy…" the sweet innocent voice rang through the group and all eyes looked at the little boy. Lucas about to make the decision to yank Easton in the restaurant before he said or heard anything else.

Carter opening his mouth to speak when Easton grabbed Lucas's chin and turning it to face him with a giggle, "Daddy I talking to you," and Carter's mouth snapped shut.

"Umm…" Lucas looked at the little boy and his heart tightened in his chest. "Yeah?" he questioned, never thinking he heard something so perfect in his life.

"I get coke?" he tilted his head to the side to ask. "They hab it," he pointed his finger forward to the inside of the restaurant with the girl walking around with a tray.

"Yeah," Lucas let out a smile. "Yeah, you can have coke. Why don't you go with Nathan and he get you some. I'll be there in just a moment," he promised with a smile and Easton nodded quickly.

"Come on little dude," Nathan took the boy from his brother, still unsure of what was happening but catching the look from his brother that he just wanted them gone.

"Who the hell are you?" Carter questioned as soon as Easton was inside.

"Someone Easton clearly knows," Lucas took a step forward annoyed. "He doesn't even know who the hell you are…"

"Luke…" Clay placed his hand to his friend's chest.

"He is my son," Carter stepped forward. "Who is Brooke letting around my child?"

"Whoa!" Clay threw a hand up pushing Carter back. "He isn't your child," he growled.

"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure I was there fucking her when she got pregnant," he hissed, very aware of his times with Brooke.

"Right," Clay let out a laugh. "FYI dick bag if a girl is saying no, it's not ok," he growled and Lucas's eyes snapped at him.

"Wait, what?" Lucas looked at him, not knowing that part.

"She gave you that shit? Fed that line to Will," he let out a bitter laugh and before he had a second to think his back was slammed against the brick wall beside him. A cringe shooting through him at the pain in his back.

"Don't you fucking talk about Will or I swear to god," he threatened not at all wanting to hear his best friend's name pass this loser's lips.

"He was my friend too, Clay," Carter retracted back a bit, him really truly hating what happened to his friend.

"He wasn't your friend," he growled. "If he was your friend, you wouldn't have treated Brooke so bad. You wouldn't have been such a jealous douche bag and you wouldn't have driven your drunken ass that night and ran away when it all happened."

"Clay…" Lucas grabbed his friend's shoulder, still trying to process what he had heard. "Let's go inside…"

"I don't know why you are in town; I don't know why you just showed up out of nowhere but get the hell out of here Carter. And stay the hell away from my family," he ordered, jerking from Lucas and yanking the door open and stomping inside.

"She still knows how to keep the boys defending her," Carter let out a slight laugh looking at the blonde. "Guess she is doing the same to you…"

"You know…" Lucas took a step forward towards the man he hated so much. "I always wondered what I would do if I saw you…how I might react. I was pretty sure I would rip you into a million pieces…"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really," he nodded. "But now that you are here in front of me," his eyes ran over him with disgust. "I can't help but simply not give a damn. You destroyed the one thing I love most," he finally confessed. "You broke her down to nothing, hit her, yelled at her, shoved her…" he got in his face and Carter's eyes burned in him. "And I promised Brooke I was nothing like you, I promised Easton that," he looked into the window at the little boy inside looking at him. "And I'm not going to break that promise to him."

"She's got you wrapped tight," he let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe even tighter than Will," he said, Lucas's jaw clenching. "But hate to break it to you, it's my family."

"No it's not," Lucas told him. "They are my family, I've been there for them, I've help take care of Easton and I've been taking care of Brooke. And I'm not going anywhere," he stated, his mind made up, he would do anything to protect them.

"She'll come back to me," Carter chuckled. "She can't help it. She always just comes back. It's easy really, so I'm helping you out man. Just leave, make things easier for everyone."

"He doesn't even know who you are," Lucas pointed out and saw the pain flash over his face.

"Luke…" Nathan stood at the door, watching the scene and not wanting his brother to do something stupid. "East is hungry, and wants you to hurry up so you can tell our waitress he wants coke."

"I'm coming," Lucas shuffled his feet back, tossing a glance to Easton to see him giggling with Clay. "If you will excuse me," he took a step back with a cocky grin. "My son is waiting for me," he spun on his feet and headed towards the door.

"He isn't your son," Carter called out and Lucas looked at him before again at Easton. "And she won't be your for long either."

"Yeah, I'm not worried," Lucas told him honestly. Knowing there was no way Brooke would go back to him. "Stay away from them," he told him seriously.

"And if I don't?" he challenged and Lucas let out a chuckle.

"Trust me, its best you do," Lucas informed him, turning on his feet and walking into the restaurant, Nathan slapping his shoulder as he passed.

"You alright man?"

"No," he confessed, feeling so many different things right then. "That's…that's Easton's dad," he admitted and Nathan's eyes widened. "Yeah…" he let out a dry laugh as he moved through the crowd of tables and over to theirs.

"You here!" Easton cheered excited. "Now, I can have coke!" he grew excited, telling everyone Lucas said it was ok but no one believed him.

"Yeah man," Lucas ruffled his hair and sat down beside him, looking out the window to see Carter watching them. Grabbing his phone from his back pocket and sending off a quick text. Really hoping this one would get a responds.

New chapter! Hope you enjoy!

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