Authors note: Nothing is set in stone about pairings, right now I'm really trying to focus on the relationship between Lucas, Nathan, and there new brother. This isn't just a 10 chapter story that ends with everyone happy and living the good life. I'm trying to make each character really have it's own arc that mixes with other characters and be as realistic as possible. So for those who asked about Leyton, the current answer is no, but for those who asked about Brucas, unfortunately the answer is no as well. I'm not going to limit myself saying yes to a pair when there are so many pieces coming in and out of the story. If you guys don't like that, I'm sorry I couldn't make it work, but appreciate you reading so far and hope you continue.

Brooke POV

Suffice it to say, it'd been a long day for Brooke.

She'd spent the day trying to re live memories of when her and Peyton were still best friends, and for a time, it had worked. She wasn't sure if they'd ever be the same as they once were, but she'd forgiven her, not forgotten, but forgiven.

And maybe, just maybe they could be even better friends then before the whole Lucas fiasco.

Which brought up seeing her ex boyfriend again today. Seeing him on that beach, knowing he was back, it was strange. For so long she had missed him, and if she was entirely honest with herself, she still did sometimes.

But she wasn't going down that road again, she couldn't. It'd broken something in her, and she wasn't willing to risk whatever remained.

That's not to say that she wouldn't give him a chance to redeem himself, but she couldn't see a future where they were together again.

Maybe she was wrong, maybe a year from now they'd be back together and happy, or maybe she'll be living in Paris for a year, or dating an Italian guy, she just didn't know. If what she just learned showed her anything, it was that you never knew what the future held.

You can practice and study and try to plan everything out, but then life would throw you a curve ball. It wasn't fair, but she knew that.

All she could worry about was the now, and right now, she'd forgiven Peyton, was civil to Lucas, and she could live with that.

It was complicated, and god knows she didn't need more shit on her hands, but then Nathan Scott had to go and ruin everything.

Collapsing on her bed, her parents gone, the house empty, she sighed angrily. "Damn you Scott. I got enough problems, I don't need yours."

She was being childish, she knew, but it didn't make her feel any better. A part of her felt sorry for Lucas and Nathan, she really did. A secret like that, it wasn't easy to accept. But another part just wished it were a big joke.

They'd all been through so much. Couldn't they have a break?

If this all turned out to be some big misunderstanding, then great, it'd be done and they could all get back to their lives. But Brooke knew, from the way Nathan spoke, to the way life always seemed to get that much tougher, this wasn't a joke.

It didn't make it all true, but it sure as hell didn't mean it wasn't real.

Out there somewhere was another Scott. She wasn't sure if his name was that, or if he'd changed it, but he had the same Scott blood running through his veins.

And now, a week before school, Nathan had decided to ditch the real world and go chase a ghost for some unknown reason.

She got that he had a brother out there, but she'd seen the guy he was up close for many years. He had a brother in the same town his whole life, and they spent nearly all that time hating each other.

So seeing how much he cared about finding out the truth was odd. He was her friend, but she could admit that he was sometimes an ass, especially when he was with Peyton.

But something had changed him, or more like someone.

Haley made him see differently.

He could still be an ass, but he wanted to do the right thing now, not just what he wanted, but what was best. Alone now, Brooke could admit that she hated it.

The two of them found something and had connected on a level she thought she could have too. Didn't mean that she wanted to get married anytime soon, because she still thought they were crazy, but she could admit that she was a little jealous.

Jealousy aside, she'd been asked to join on the little crusade up the east coast and into New York. Now lost brother aside, she never had to find a reason not to go to New York. An opportunity like that didn't come around Tree Hill every year.

But a week before school, her friendship with Peyton still building, and a couple hours in a car with her ex boyfriend was maybe the best excuse out there.

Still, they were all friends, some more then others, but friends in the end. She'd have plenty of times to do the wrong thing during the school year, right now, she'd do the right thing.

And that was helping everyone find this missing brother.

Lucas POV

It'd been almost two hours since everyone had left the river court and headed home. Deciding on what to do, Lucas stayed, relishing the fact that he was alone at the place he thought of as his second home.

Here he could be just himself, not once worrying about the outside world and just do what he loved.

That changed.

Now it seemed every time he came here he was dealing with a whole new problem. He hated the fact that the one place he used to call solitude had become corrupt with his own goddamn problems.

And now another one had his attention as he looked across the court and onto the river.

The current kept moving forward, not once wavering at debris or rocks that held its place wanting to stop the momentum.

He wished his life were that simple. Just be able to push through the problems and keep moving forward. But it just felt like every time he got knocked down and managed his way back up, something was there to push him back down.

He realized his life wasn't like the river, he wasn't moving forward. Right now, he felt like the rock. He kept pushing back, but it was useless.

Everywhere he turned a problem found it's way there.

And with everything that's happened, the last thing he expected was to find out that he had another brother.

Whether or not it was true was a different situation, but right now, with or without him, Nathan was planning on leaving tomorrow bright in early to track him down.

It was all so comical.

In a normal life, they'd be worrying about school and friends and sports or anything else other teens would. But for them, they were planning on heading to New York to track down someone who may or may not even be there.

He hated the uncertainty of it all, but he understood where Nathan was coming from. He wanted to do the right thing. That was mostly Haley's fault for making Nathan a better guy. But he couldn't fault her on that; she was doing the right thing.

There were many people who could take the blame for the situation, but that wouldn't change anything. He had another brother out there, and alone now with only his thoughts, he could admit that it was all probably true.

His father had ruined his life leaving his mother, and then had ruined Nathan's life when he pushed him to be someone that he couldn't be, and now, inadvertently, his father had ruined someone else's life. A poor decision is high school had left this kid parentless and completely off the grid.

Who knows, maybe his brother had found a life worth living. But if Lucas were speaking from experience, a life without a parent wasn't one he'd wish for anyone.

His mother had been amazing to him, and if he'd go back and change something, it wouldn't be the fact that she raised him alone. They were both stronger and closer because of it. And he had this unbreakable bond with his uncle that most kids don't have with their own father.

No he realized in his problem filled world, he had many bright spots, some so strong that it made the next the day that much better.

But without a father, or a mother, he wasn't sure he could survive that.

Nathan had said that the woman Carol had said that her son had never found a suitable family to take him in, always bouncing, never in one place for too long.

That wasn't a life.

It wasn't a life for anyone, and thinking long and hard about it, it sure as hell wasn't a life that he was comfortable knowing his brother was living.

He'd go to New York, he'd find his brother, and he'd make damn sure that he'd knew he had a family out there looking for him.

Haley POV

"You sure you wanna do this?" Haley asked, stroking the back of her husband's hair. The two of them waited outside Lucas's house the next day by the car and waited. "We don't have to do this."

"I need to."

Haley eyed him. "But why?"

Looking down at his wife, Nathan spoke honestly. "We're married now Hales. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but it's still scary thinking about it. I mean were starting this whole new chapter in are lives, together. I'm done with my parents, we just moved in together, and now I'm on good terms with my brother who I was raised to hate all my life. Things have changed, and I don't know if I'm making all the right choices, but I do know that when I choose, it feels right to me. And right now, thinking about a brother out there, probably alone, I just feel like it's something I gotta do."

Haley smiled up at her husband happily. "Well if we do find your brother, he has a hell of a younger one."

"When we find are brother," A voice cut in. The two looked up to see Lucas with a bag around his shoulder and ready to go. "Will find him."

"Well aren't you optimistic."

Lucas shrugged. "I thought about it last night, and your right. We have to find him. I grew up without a dad, but I had a hell of a mom. He didn't have anyone. If he is who we think he is, then he's family, and he deserves a chance to at least meet us."

"I'm proud of you Luke," Haley smiled, hugging her best friend close. She didn't know what she did to deserve each boy in her life, but somehow she got the best of both worlds, a husband to share it with, and a best friend that would help her along the way.

"Thanks Hales." Lucas looked around, noticing the lack of people. "Is it just us?"

"Sorry, but your not that lucky," Nathan teased, popping into the driver seat of his SUV. "Your ex girlfriends are both in and ready. So sit tight, it's gonna be a rough one for you."

"You know, Peyton's your ex girlfriend too," Lucas mumbled, getting into the car.

"I think are little group is a little too comfortable with each other," Haley mumbled, getting a laugh out of the two Scott brothers. "This year we should really focus on branching out."

"Yeah well were going to track someone down in New York," Nathan cut in. "Think that's reaching. Now lets get to it."

Brooke POV

Brooke heard Peyton shifting around her room and knew what time it was, but for the life of her, she just wanted to stay in bed.

"Brooke, wake up."

That had been the third time Peyton tried, and she wondered if she kept on ignoring her maybe she'd disappear.

"Brooke I'm serious."

"God," She mumbled into her pillow. "Kill me now."

"Sorry kiddo, but we have a road trip," Peyton continued. She couldn't find any way to get her friend out of bed. "They'll be here pretty soon."

Not once looking up, Brooke continued to lie still. "Go without me."

"Too late." Walking over, Peyton ripped off the bedspread and continued packing. "Now chop chop."

"I hate you, Nathan, and whoever this mystery guy is," She cried. Swinging her feet over the bed, she eyed her friend. "Well aren't you looking pretty. Trying to put a show on for the Scott brother? Although with your track record, it could be either one."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "A, Nathan's married, B, I'm done with Lucas, and C, get your ass out of bed and lets get a move on."

Seeing her cue, Brooke lifted her hands accepting her friends plea. She was right, they'd be here soon, and even though she's regretting it at the very moment, she did say she would go.

Closing the bathroom door, she eyed her reflection with a smile. "You know, you forgot D."

"And what's that," Peyton shouted behind the door.

"There's a third Scott brother to cross off your list," Brooke joked. It was harmless fun, but it didn't take a genius to see Peyton's type. "You know what they say, never two without three."

Brooke heard Peyton chuckle softly. "Yeah well I don't think third times a charm for this one."

"Not with that attitude," Brooke started. "Maybe he turns out to be…"

"Um Brooke?"

"….This great guy," Brooke continued. "Or maybe he's into that stuff you call music. Or maybe…"

"Brooke."

"He's like a nerdy brainy type like Haley and…."

"BROOKE!"

"What," Brooke said innocently, opening the door to see Peyton peering out the window.

Peyton's eyes never left their spot. "There's a naked guy swimming in your pool."

"Um what?" Peyton pointed towards the window as Brooke slowly peaked her head out. "What the hell!"

She couldn't make out the guy, but whoever he was, he was defiantly naked and in her pool.

"New boy toy?" Peyton laughed, seeing her friends face. "Or stalker?"

"Not funny P. Sawyer," She answered back, heading straight for the door. "Come on lets go!"

"Brooke wait!" Peyton shouted but it was too late. Her headstrong friend had already taken off. "You're not wearing any pants."