Thanks for the awesome replies! I don't own these characters, I'm just doing something constructive with them.

A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 16

The autumn sun beat down on Lucas' back as he made his way from school to his Uncle's garage. It was times like these that Lucas envied Nathan and his expensive SUV. You can bet Nathan's precious feet never hit the concrete, he angrily thought. As difficult as it had been to assimilate into the team's practice schedule, Lucas found that he now missed practicing with the team. He loved basketball and hated to be driven away from it by his own mother. The sound of a car behind him caused him to turn toward the road.

"Hey Broody, want a ride?" Brooke's voice purred from her convertible. He smiled at her only for a second before dumping his backpack on the back seat and sliding in next to her.

"Hey," he murmured before pulling her into a deep kiss. They broke apart as a car horn beeped insistently behind them. Brooke gave him a short giggle before shifting the car into drive and moving smoothly into traffic. "Where are we going?" she asked, knowing where she'd like to take him. She knew her parents were out of the state by now, leaving her very large house unattended. It was perfect for a romantic tryst.

"Can you take me to my Uncle's garage?" he asked, hating that he was going to have to eventually go to Dan's. She slid her hand on his thigh and gave him a pout. "I'd rather take you some place dark and quiet."

Lucas stifled a moan as her hand gradual inched up his thigh. "I'm impressed that you can do two things at once," he said, pointing toward the crimson traffic light that she ran. Brooke smirked at him and removed her hand. "What can I say…I'm a good multi-tasker."

She looked over at him, taking in his stiff posture and distant eyes. "You're worried about going to Dan's, aren't you?" she asked, sympathy for him obvious in her kind tone.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to feel. I hate the guy and I feel like my own mother just threw me to the crocodiles," he said. "Brooke, I don't think I've ever said more than five sentences to the guy and now I have to spend the day with him."

She listened to his words and heard the undertones of anger that permeated his words. "You don't have to say anything to him. You can just do whatever he asks you and Nate to do in silence. You brood better than anyone I know…why not just ignore him like you do most people at school?"

He considered her words for a second. "I'm just nervous. My stomach has been in knots since last night," he confessed, feeling secure enough around her to tell the truth. "It's like the world is spinning out of control and I'm being swept away in the confusion."

Brooke nodded at his troubled yet articulate words. "You didn't eat much at lunch. And you were really restless last night," she revealed. It was bad enough that he'd already failed a test because of Dan, but now he was losing his appetite. He smiled at her words. "I'm glad you stayed with me. I'd probably not slept at all if it weren't for you."

She abruptly pulled the car over into a vacant parking lot. Before he could question her sudden detour, she pulled a shiny silver flask from her backpack. "You want a few swigs of this? It might calm your pre-Dan jitters down."

"What is it?" he asked, curious about why she carried a flask to school. Brooke twisted the top off and offered it to him. "Just some vodka, nothing hard core. Sometimes I need a few sips to get through the day," she offered him, knowing that it was fairly lame to admit to drinking during school. She might have a reputation for partying hard on the weekends, but imbibing at school seemed down right tacky.

Lucas gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Brooke, what is going on with you?" he softly questioned her. "First you can't sleep at home and now you're drinking at school?"

She avoided his eyes, though the flask she held quivered in her grasp. "It's just really complicated. I don't want to talk about it," she said, her tone final. Lucas nodded, knowing that they all had demons to fight. "But I want you to know it's my personal goal to get you to trust me enough to talk to me." He gave her a steady look before taking the silver metal container from her. He downed the contents in a few gulps before handing it back to her. Lucas forced himself to take a few deep breaths, even as he felt the alcohol coursing through him. It was going to be a very long day.

Brooke pulled out of the parking lot with a final wave and an encouraging smile. Lucas watched her convertible drive off, wishing that he could have been in the car with her. Sighing, he walked into the garage, hoping to find a sign of life in the cavernous structure. Though the shop staff consisted of just Keith and Lucas, his uncle had built up a reputation as an honest mechanic. They'd never get rich off the shop, but it was a decent enough living. Lucas just wanted more…he wanted a job that didn't involve grease and back breaking labor. "Keith," he called out, confused as to where his uncle would be so late in the afternoon. He tossed the gum Brooke had given him to mask any scent that the vodka might have left into one of the large trash cans, hesitating a moment to gather some energy.

The garage bays were open, so he knew that Keith had to be around. He closed his eyes and warily wiped his face on his gray hoodie. The scent from Brooke wafted up toward his nose, filling his senses with memories of the girl who spent the night curled in his sweatshirt and his arms.

"Lucas," Keith called out, coming from the tiny office in the very back of the garage. "Did Whitey cancel practice?" Keith was surprised to see his nephew. Practice had really cut into Luke's work time, but Keith was just happy to see the kid doing something normal. He was smiling as he approached his nephew, clearly expecting them to get to work. "I've got the Jetta fixed, so we should probably turn our attention toward Mr. Given's Jeep."

Lucas stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Keith stared at him for a moment, knowing when his nephew was upset. "Or maybe you have something you need to tell me?" Keith questioned, motioning Lucas toward his office.

He shuffled after his uncle, not wanting to tell Keith that his own mother was forcing him into slave labor.

Keith pulled open the ancient gold refrigerator and handed Lucas a cold drink. "So what's the latest news from your corner of town?" Keith asked, sensing his nephew's reluctance to talk. He'd always known that the boy was quiet around strangers, but lately Keith feared he was growing silent around everyone in his life. Lucas could be so serious that it was hard for Keith to see him interact with the larger world around him. He knew his nephew would rather be buried in a book than hanging out with his peers. Keith felt partially guilty, knowing that Lucas was still upset that he was dating another woman.

"Well, I can't work today. I came by to tell you that my mom has gone crazy and decided that as punishment for the fight during the game, I have to work for Dan for the day," Lucas spat out, clearly infuriated with his mom's careless actions.

Keith's jaw actually dropped at his nephew's words. "Dan as in my brother Dan? You have to work for Dan?" he repeatedly, not fully understanding the situation.

Dropping his feet listlessly on the floor, Lucas shrugged his shoulders at his Uncle. "Nathan and I nearly got suspended for fighting during a school event. Mom went ballistic and decided for every fight we have, we have to work together for a day."

Keith's eyes widened in surprised. "How does that translate out to you working for Dan?" He knew how seriously Karen took school, but he was a bit stunned that she'd force her son to spend time with the man that had so callously abandoned him for his entire life.

"The idea is that if Nathan and I are forced to spend time together, we'll discover our brotherly bond," Lucas explained, the sarcasm dripping from his words. He looked up at his Uncle, who remained silent in an attempt to encourage Lucas to talk. "And she's right. If I have to spend time near Dan and Nathan, I'll never swing at the guy again. It seems mom and Dan have formed an alliance dedicated to bringing all of us closer together."

Keith sighed, knowing that Karen had always been one to try to bring people together. She hated fighting and discord. "So she's making the two of you work at Dan's for the day?" he asked, attempting to clarify the situation. "Are you okay with that?"

Lucas abruptly stood up, feeling the need to move. "I don't like either of them, Keith. Nathan's an ass and Dan is just…" Luke's large vocabulary failed him. Keith nodded in sympathy, knowing first hand how difficult his little brother could be.

"I know it's hard for you to be around him, Luke. But maybe it's a chance for you two to get to know each other, maybe find some common ground." Keith wasn't sure that he believed his own words, but he'd admonished Dan for years of neglect regarding Lucas. And if Dan had actually agreed to work with Karen, things were definitely changing. Dan and Karen had always had bad timing. If Dan was willing to try, Karen had been unforgiving. By the time Karen had calmed down, Dan had walked off in a snit, angered that she'd not openly embraced his overtures. He'd watched their elaborate tango for nearly 17 years and it still amazed him that never could find a compromise regarding Lucas.

"It's just a power trip, Keith. He's run out of ways to humiliate me during games, so he's trying to find another way to drive me crazy," Lucas surmised, wondering why the booze wasn't helping him to relax.

Keith tossed his now empty can into the trash before turning to face Lucas. "He's always been a control freak. I remember the night of the accident, he…" Keith suddenly caught himself, realizing that he'd already said too much.

Lucas pounced on his words in a second. "The night of the accident? Was Dan at the hospital the night I was in surgery?" he asked his Uncle, with a near hopeful expression on his face. Luke's mind went back to all the arguments he'd overheard his mom and Keith have after he'd gotten home from the hospital. The nagging suspicions he'd had for months were returning with a vengeance.

"Lucas, I was just going to say that the night of the accident Dan called my cell phone repeatedly, not content until he'd heard that I was okay," Keith explained, hoping that his explanation didn't sound as lame to Lucas as it did to himself. Dan had called him repeatedly, but only to check up on Luke's post surgery condition. He'd hung around long enough to sign for the surgery and to make sure his son survived, but he'd left as soon as he'd gotten word that Luke was alright. Lately, his nephew had been so obsessed with the accident and his parents' past. "Dan is just completely focused and when he makes a decision, he commits to it 100."

Leaning against the back wall of the shop, Lucas gazed at his Uncle with penetrating eyes. Keith had always been upfront with him, whether it was questions about sex or why Dan never wanted to spend time with him. Keith was one of the few people that Lucas completely trusted and here he was jumping down the guy's throat. "I just need to know the truth, Keith."

Sighing, the older man leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. "Well, in the name of honesty, I have some news for you." Lucas looked over at him, his face growing unhappier by the moment. He knew this couldn't be anything good. He took a seat on the beat up brown couch that lined the back wall of the garage and waited for his Uncle to continue.

"You know that I've been seeing Anna for a while, right?" he questioned, waiting for Luke's solemn nod before proceeding. "Well, I know we've only been dating a few months, but last night I asked Anna to marry me."

The only sound in the room was the ticking of an old wall clock that was emblazed with the logo of an auto parts supplier. Luke felt a lump form in his throat and words escaped him. Keith moved over to sit next to him on the couch, already sensing his nephew emotionally withdrawing. "Lucas, you have to know that I would have given anything to make things work with your mom. If for no other reason than giving you the family I know you crave."

Lucas angrily swatted at the tears that formed in his eyes, fighting to control his shallow breathing. He felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. "But you don't even know this girl…"

"Lucas, I know her well enough to know we are a good match. We have fun together and I feel connected to her in a way I've never experienced before, not even with your mom," he gently explained, hating the pain he saw so clearly written on Luke's face. "I'm in love, Luke. I want to have a family of my own, and Anna and I are both ready to start a family."

Luke actually recoiled at his Uncle's words. "But if you and Mom just gave it one more try, maybe . . ." Keith gently cut him off. "Lucas, you mother and I are never going to get back together. We tried and it didn't work out," he explained, knowing full well that Lucas had overheard enough of their fights to realize it wasn't working out.

"Is that because you think she's got a thing for Dan?" he angrily asked, bringing up the accusations he had heard Keith toss at his mom that night at the café. Keith sighed and leaned back against the worn couch. "I wish you hadn't overheard that, Luke. My idle speculations don't necessarily reflect reality.

Lucas watched him for a moment before speaking. "But you do know Dan and my mom better than any else, don't you? And you'd know if they were involved," he asked, almost afraid to hear his Uncle's response. That might go a long way to explain his mother's new found Dan tolerance.

"Lucas, your parents have a long and complicated relationship. And I honestly don't know their private feelings regarding the other. But you have to know that my feelings toward you aren't going to change just because I get married. Anna really likes you and she's looking forward to being an Aunt," he explained. "She doesn't have any family Lucas and she's really excited about this."

Hearing the censure in his Uncle's words, Lucas attempted to suck it up but failed miserably. A tear escaped his eye, even as he wiped his face. "But once you have your own kid, you won't need me anymore," he said, his voice small and sad. "I just wanted you to be my dad."

Keith's heart clenched in pain, hating to see how upset Lucas was about his impending marriage. "Luke, you will always be my son, even if Anna and I do have a baby. No one could fill your place in my heart."

He stood up, suddenly feeling more anxious than before he'd guzzled Brooke's vodka. "Everything is changing. And I feel completely disoriented," he confessed, not trusting his voice to say much more.

Keith stood up and pulled his nephew into a hug. "Life is about change, Lucas. But the one thing I can promise you is that my marriage to Anna is not going to affect our relationship in any way."

Nodding, Lucas wiped his face one last time and pulled away, heading for the door. "I need to get to Dan's before he calls my mom and tells her I'm a no show," he said, looking for his backpack. Keith found his bag and wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulders. "Let me drive you over there," he said, hoping that he could find some way to reassure his nephew in the ten minute drive across town.

I know, it was a short chapter. If anyone's interested I could post the next chapter in a couple of days! Replies are appreciated. It's always nice to know what you think about a chapter and if you liked it or not.

Up next:

Dan sends Nate on some business

Dan sees his brother with his son

Luke and Dan state the obvious in front of a lot of customers