"Clay be careful with her, she is still only three," Brooke reminded the boy in the pool tossing her daughter around.

"I know Brooke, don't worry I won't break her," he joked tossing the squealing little girl in the air.

"Up, up!" Emma giggled as Clay again threw her. "I like up momma!"

"Just be careful with up," Brooke warned but still smiling at her little girl. She enjoyed seeing her little girl so happy. Emma was always so carefree with everything, she loved everyone she met and at the age of three never really sorry the downside to anything; she was just happy. Brooke wished she was just happy like that all the time. "He is great with her," she told her friend who was tanning next to her.

"Yeah, kids have always really liked him," Quinn looked up at her laughing boyfriend. "I think it's because he gives that little innocent smile."

"I really don't think he is as innocent as the kids think," Brooke laughed sipping on her tea.

"Oh he definitely isn't as innocent as the kids think, nor my mom," she smirked making Brooke laugh a little more. "But he is great, and I love him."

"Yeah," she frowned looking at the look Quinn was giving and frowned, she missed that.

"Mick!" Brooke squealed as he walked into the gym. She hadn't seen him in two weeks and it was probably the longest time of the young girl's life.

"My baby," he smiled as she run at him, jumping in his arms and slamming her lips into his. "Miss me a little I take it?" he teased as he stumbled back into the wall behind him; Brooke's body completely wrapped around his.

"Only a little," she giggled against his lips pulling him closer to her.

"Just a little?" he questioned, still yet to move their lips away from each other and she nodded. "I missed you more than a little," he admitted his hands feeling like a burning on her hips.

"Really?" she grinned pulling away from their kiss finally.

"Yeah," his eyes wondered over her body. It was so perfect in his mind, so flawless and the weeks away from her were really too long. "I think you should come over tonight."

"You do huh?"

"Yup, my parents aren't coming home until tomorrow night so you should come over and I will show you how much I missed you," he brushed her hair over her shoulder.

"Sounds like a pretty perfect plan," she grinned leaning in to kiss him again, "I love you," she got out before his lips were against his again.

"I love you too," he mumbled along her smooth lips.

"Mommy!" the voice of her little girl pulling her out of her thoughts.

"What? Sorry," she popped her head back into focus, blinking the tear that dared to incase her eye.

"Clay make me go up really high," she babbled as Quinn ran a brush through her wet hair and putting it in a pony tail.

"I saw that, did you have fun?" she asked leaning over and pulling her into her lap.

"Lots of fun," Emma nodded, pushing her sunglasses up on her face. "Do I look like momma?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Oh just like her," Clay laughed drying himself off.

"Dats good," she shook her head pleased with his answer.

"Oh my baby," Brooke shook her head laughing, kissing the top of her head. "You are just too cute."

"Like you," she grinned pushing some of her wet hair that didn't reach the pony tail out of her face. "Momma I hungry."

"What would you like?" Brooke asked lifting the little girl in her arms and wrapping a towel around her waist.

"French fries!" she squealed like that was the best idea ever.

"Honey Bun momma doesn't have any French fries," Brooke told her as they moved to the kitchen.

"You make them, daddy makes them," she reminded her and missed the way her mom tensed.

"Well daddy will make you some when he comes and sees you," she sat her on the counter handing Emma her sippy cup with milk.

"Otay," she sung out happy sipping her drink. "Quinn you know daddy?" she looked at the girl who walked into the kitchen a few minutes after them.

"No pumpkin I haven't met your daddy yet," she leaned in front of her tossing a glance at Brooke who was moving around the kitchen trying to ignore the talking.

"He is pretty," Emma told her. "I have his eye," she shoved her finger into her eye making Quinn laugh.

"Be careful, don't poke your eye," she pulled her little finger away.

"He loves me," she started sipping her milk again. "He says I'm his Princess."

"He does, does he?" Quinn asked but keeping her eyes locked on the brunette gripping the counter.

"Yup and he is coming to see me," then Brooke tensed even more. "He promise."

"I bet he is, but why don't you go see what Clay is doing in the living room? Mommy and I will be there in just a few," she lifted her off the counter and on the ground.

"Otay," her famous line as she took off out of the kitchen.

"Gracie be careful, you might slip!" Brooke yelled as she rounded out of the room and into the living room.

"So he is visiting huh?" Quinn crossed her arms leaning on the counter.

"Yup."

"You believe he is coming?"

"If he can he will. He misses her and I know that, he isn't going to purposely not see her," Brooke full heartedly believed. Mick and hers mess of a relationship didn't at all affect his love for their little girl. Emma was his life, and just because he didn't fight for Brooke to stay didn't mean he didn't fight for Emma to but it just got to hard. With school, and ball and work he was burnt out on fighting and finally agreed to them moving. However Brooke knew once he had a moment to really think about it he hated that decision, and once she moved he made that one real clear.

"Mick," Brooke growled as she juggled her daughter and the diaper bag on her shoulder. "I am not arguing with you."

"You are arguing with me because I am arguing with you!" he yelled, as he stormed around his apartment, completely dismissing his roommates telling him to be quiet.

"No I'm not," she dropped the bag down, putting Emma in her crib and started to fix up her new living room. "Mick, I told you I was leaving, you said go and I did."

"I didn't think you would actually leave! She is my daughter to god damn it!" he yelled making Brooke cringe a little. Even when they are fighting in the past he never screamed at her like that.

"Mick…"

"No!" he continued to yell. "She is three Brooke! She won't get what is going on and it's not fair for her to all of a sudden be away from everyone she loves, who loves her."

"So now you argue that case?" Brooke stopped unpacking to defend her actions. "Now you want to tell me to come back, bring her back. Not when I was packing, not when I was looking for a new place or asking your thoughts, now you choose to fight me on everything? Now that I am on the other side of the damn country you decide to fight?"

"I have been fighting this whole time Brooke! I told you I didn't want you leaving with my daughter and I thought…" he trailed off dropping in his chair. "I thought if I said ok you might know I wasn't forcing you and you would stay. I can't not see her every day Brooke; she is all I have. She is the only thing I have ever done right."

"Mick," Brooke sat down on her sofa watching her daughter. "I can't stand it there anymore," she confessed running her hand over her face. "It's easy for you, people don't talk to you or about you but every time I turn the corner I get called a slut, I get informed that I ruined the life of Mick Kennedy, his life would have gone so much differently if the slut didn't get pregnant with his bastard child."

"Then I will tell them to shut the hell up! They don't know shit and they don't have a clue on anything. Everything that has happened in this relationship and to you has been because of me. It's my fault Brooke and they can all go to hell!"

"Mick…"

"No! Because people don't know jack shit about anything I get to lose my daughter? That is not fair to me."

"And it's not fair to me and it's not fair to our little girl," Brooke ran a hand over her hair, Emma looking up with a smile. "I swear everyday she looks more and more like you."

"I wouldn't know," Mick let out a bitter laugh shaking his head. "Please Brooke, please bring her home?"

"Mick," she shook her head, running her hand through her hair. "I…I don't ask you for much, I haven't asked you for anything in a long time but please, right now let me do this. Let me be here, at least let me finish school, please?"

"Will you bring her back then? If I let you stay until school is out, so you don't have to be around all the drama at home right now, will you bring her back to me? Please?" he begged wanting his daughter to come home. He understood it, he got Brooke had to listen and hear a lot more than he ever did but it didn't change that he missed her. It had been a week and he was going nuts.

"Yeah Mick," Brooke caved, wiping the tear that trailed down her cheek. "I'll bring her back."

"So you don't care?" Quinn's voice brought her out of her thinking.

"Huh?" Brooke looked at her confused. "I mean no I don't care, its fine," she waved her hand at her friend, hoping whatever its fine would work for whatever she had just said. "Come on, let's go watch this game," she grabbed stuff off the counter heading towards the kitchen.

"Ok coming," Quinn nodded, finishing typing on her phone before grabbing her drink and following.

"And again I win," Lucas announced proud throwing his control down.

"You so cheated!" Nathan argued, "You purposely made sure my batteries were dying in my control so it could fail through the whole game," he shrugged, figuring that was the only way his brother would ever beat him.

"Right," Lucas laughed. "I came over while you were not home and stole your good batteries just so you would lose a video game," he said wondering if his brother realized how stupid that actually sounded.

"So you admit it."

Guess not.

"I don't know how we are related," the blonde stood up laughing.

"Your just pissed I got all the basketball talent and looks. You can't handle it all," Nathan gave him a smug look making him laugh more.

"Yeah, clearly that's it," he shook his head, grabbing a coke from the fridge and tossing one to his brother. "So where is that best friend of mine?" he walked back into the living room and dropping on the couch. "I haven't seen her," he leaned back looking down the hall to her bedroom.

"Oh she had something she had to do and then was going to go meet Quinn somewhere," Nathan shrugged falling down next to his brother.

"Things to do? Shouldn't you be more aware of what your wife is doing?" Lucas raised his brow thinking Nathan should have a little more info on where Haley was out doing.

"Well I mean she told me but there was a game on," he explained, his brother nodding clearly understanding. "But she should be back in a bit."

"Good, because I'm starving. I mean I only come over here because she feeds me," he joked making Nathan laugh.

"Yeah, whatever," he grabbed the TV changer and flipping through the channels. "Oh TV you never fail to entertain me with a game," he leaned back watching the baseball game.

"You know I hear this team is good," Lucas nodded at the team taking the field. "May go to the college World Series."

"No shit?" Nathan looked at him as he nodded. "Well looky there, good teams can come out of small little towns," he chuckled so tired of the idea that nothing good comes from a little town.

"Yup."

"So," Nathan took a sip of his drink. "What's up with you and the new girl?" he questioned, Haley driving him nuts to find out what was happening. He personally wasn't exactly interested in it, yeah of course he was curious but Haley was almost begging to know all the Brooke and Lucas information.

"Brooke, her name is Brooke Nate," Lucas told him tossing him a glance before, standing up and walking back in the kitchen to find some chips or something to snack on until Haley got home.

"I know her name, I mean we have class together; she is pretty cool," he followed his brother's lead to the kitchen. "She is hot as hell too."

"Are you allowed to say that?"He tilted his head to the side.

"Hey, I am married but still a guy. I can admit when I think someone is hot," Nathan nodded proud with his manhood he still had. "Don't tell Haley," he asked when Lucas gave him a yeah right look.

"I won't," he chuckled. "But I don't know; Brooke is…she's different."

"Different?"

"Yeah man different. She is like extremely closed off. We will talk and be just fine but I try to hit on her, hell flirt and she just throws this wall up so fast it makes my head spin," he admitted, leaning on the counter. "But I really can't figure it out."

"Here is a shot in the dark but maybe," Nathan leaned close like he was about to share some sort of secret. "Maybe she just isn't into you," he joked, walking back towards the couch.

"Dude shut up," Lucas grabbed his bag of chips and followed. "It's not that ok, I don't know what it is but that's not it."

"So why bother?" Nathan questioned knowing Lucas never cared before about some girl. "If she is that much trouble move on, you really have no problem in the girl department dude."

"I know that," he rolled his eyes, knowing his reputation was more then known around the school, and more then sure Brooke had heard it by now. "But maybe I like her, or I think I could like her and I don't know…maybe I want what you and Haley have," he admitted knowing he really wanted what they had. Yeah the hooking up was fun, but he wanted something stable something real. Someone to talk to when he was having a bad day or someone he could actually have a meaningful conversation with.

"Seriously? Lucas Scott wants to retire his player jersey and settle down?" Nathan clearly not buying it.

"You did it," Lucas reminded him. "You were just like me, if not worse and Haley settled you down. Who knows maybe Brooke will settle me down," he shrugged taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah you just have to get her to go out with you," he joked.

"Yeah," Lucas groaned, sinking back into the couch. "That one might be a little harder then I would like."

"Well good luck," Nathan tipped his drink to him. "Cause from what you say, you are going to need it."

"So is Mick any good?" Quinn whispered over to Brooke as they watched the game.

"He is great," Brooke admitted, feeling butterflies in her stomach about seeing him. Of course she has pictures but to see him actually moving around, smiling, laughing; that was a little different.

"Which one is he?" Clay looked up from the couch at the girl, bouncing her leg in the chair beside him.

"Daddy!" Emma squealed before anyone could say anything. "Momma, daddy is right there you see him?" she pointed her little finger into the TV screen, showing Mick warming up.

"That is her dad?" Quinn had wide eyes when she turned to look at a smiling Brooke.

"Yup," she pulled Emma in her lap. "That's him," she couldn't fight the smile. He looked gorgeous, hell when did he not. He had his cap on backwards but she could still see some hair sticking out under it, he let the scruff on his face grow a little and his gorgeous eyes seemed to have the light in them he got when he played ball and she swears to everything above his body was made for a uniform.

"You do know that's Mick Kennedy right?" Clay looked at her shocked. "They talk about him on ESPN all the time. He is expected to go pro."

"I know," Brooke said already knowing that. Already knowing how great he was, it was a part of the reason she left. She was afraid she would be the reason he didn't go after his dream, because she got pregnant and he would put his life on hold ruining what he was going to become. It wasn't fair for him to do that.

"He is gorgeous," Quinn still not getting over the look of the boy. Though Emma looked just like Brooke, you could see her Mick all in her, she definitely got the best of both her parents' features.

"I know that too," Brooke laughed a little, kissing the top of her daughter's head.

"He can't see me huh?" Emma tilted her head up to look at her mom.

"No baby, he can't," she frowned seeing the hurt look on her little girls face.

"That's otay," she shrugged. "I see him."

"I know you do. You know what your daddy told me?" Brooke questioned turning her to look at her. "He said he was going to get a big hit for his Princess," she told her, loving the smile that spread across her face.

"That's me!" she pointed at herself, "I his Princess Quinn," she looked over at the girl beside Clay on the couch. "He call me dat."

"I love that name," Quinn curled up next to Clay.

"Me too," Emma smiled, crawling out of her mom's lap and onto the floor in front of the TV.

"Emma, baby not so close," Brooke slid her back a little.

"Mommy," she whined. "I got to see him," she pouted her bottom lip knowing Brooke couldn't say no to her.

"One show isn't going to make her blind," Clay sided with Emma making Brooke laugh. He was such a push over.

"Ok, but just to see Daddy," she caved, watching her daughter smile big and scramble back to in front of the TV. "Oh I'll get it, it's probably the pizza," she stood up when she heard the door bell ring. "Emma I'll be right back," she told her knowing Emma wasn't listening.

"Where he go?" she heard her little voice ask as she walked out of the room.

"Commercial sweetie," she heard Quinn tell her.

"So how much do I owe you?" Brooke opened the door, digging through her wallet.

"Brooke?" she lifted her head and her heart dropped.

"Haley," she swallowed hard tossing a nervous glance into the house. "What are you doing here?"

"My sister," Haley said looking back in the driveway to make sure it was Quinn's car. "Yeah my sister told me to come hang out; she said she was hanging with some friends."

"Who is your sister?" Brooke scratched her eyebrow nervously.

"Quinn."

"Quinn," she let out a nervous laugh. "Your Quinn's sister, meaning your Lydia's daughter," she ran her hand over her face.

"Yeah?" Haley gave her a confused look. "Brooke how did you know that?"

"So you don't care?"

"Huh?" "I mean no I don't care, its fine."

"Ok cool."

"Shit," Brooke slapped a hand to her forehead. "Why don't I listen better when people talk?"

"Huh?" she asked confused to whatever was going on. "Brooke are you ok?"

"No," she admitted looking back in her house. "Far from it."

"Brooke hurry up with the pizza!" she heard Clay yell from the living room.

"Was that Clay?" Haley questioned, taking a step into the house.

"Umm…yup," Brooke put her hand up against the wall, blocking Haley from entering.

"How do you know Clay? And on top of that how do you know Quinn and my mom?" She asked not getting it. Yeah she knew Brooke lived here but Quinn was older then her, along with Clay so it's not like they just met at school or something, plus her knowing her mom was completely random.

"Haley look I-"

"Mommy!" the little voice screamed making Brooke's eyes dart back into the house. "Mommy, Daddy is hitting!"

"Brooke you coming?" Quinn called.

"Brooke what is-?"

"Mommy," a little girl rounded the corner sliding right into brunette at the door. "Clay say hurry up, you miss Daddy."

"Brooke," Brooke's eyes moved back up to a wide eyed Haley.

"Haley I can explain," Brooke nervously picked up Emma, figuring there was no way at all out of this. "This…this is Emma," she introduced, swallowing hard with her next line. "My daughter."

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