Once all of Jamie and Sophia's friends left, the adults entered Jamie's room as Soph was still lying with him in his bed. The nurses had been kind enough to move all the monitors and machines over to his room, so we knew that she was fine.

"Mom isnt that my top!?" my daughter asked me as soon as I entered the room.

"Well, its Clothes over Bros, so it is in fact, my top!" I sniggered.

"I dont like you rummaging through my closet," she said narrowing her eyes at me. I gave her a raised eyebrow asking her to spill whatever she was hiding. Brooke Davis was a very strict mother when she chose to be. This straightened my young one out as she stopped the argument.

"Afraid she'll throw away half of your closet out, calling it inappropriate?" Peyton asked my little one comically. "Give me a call if she does that. I have pictures of how Brooke dressed up when she was your age, Lizzie. I'll buy you exactly what she wore, which was, well, pretty close to nothing."

"Hey! Peyton!" I yelled at my best friend who just laughed. "Do not fill ideas into my little one's head! Sophia, if I see you in anything of that sort, I will ground your ass so hard, you will miss even the fashion trends that never go out of style."

"Yeah, yeah. But what I still dont get is why you insist on calling me by my middle name, Aunt Peyton?" Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Well its my name! And my birth mother's name," Peyton laughed.

"I dont see mom calling Lydia Penelope," she argued for the sake of arguing. I never understood why teenagers had to be so angsty. Yet, I knew I was worse at her age.

"Thats because I'm still mad at Nathan for that. I was never too fond of Penelope!" I said, giving Nathan a death glare.

"Hey, dont diss my child's name!" Nathan laughed. "She would be nothing but Penny!"

"Aunt Peyton, are you gonna have your daughter's middle name be Bob so we can complete the holy trinity?" Sophia joked, yet I saw Haley perk up as much as me. We were all curious.

"Its gonna be Brooke actually," she confessed.

"Wait what?!" I exclaimed, completely flabbergasted.

"Yeah… Anna Brooke Jagielski," she said, smiling wide.

"P! Im honoured. Thank you!" I said, my eyes getting misty as I went to hug my best friend.

"Of course, Godmother!" Peyton said, getting equally cranky and emotional.

"Oh god! I did not sign up for all this mom Aunt Peyton lesbian love hug thing," Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Soph, how about you move to your room and take all the females with you!" Jamie suggested, rolling his eyes.

"How you feeling J Nate?" Lucas asked him.

"Like i was just shot," he joked. Nobody laughed at the joke he thought he cracked. We just peered at him with concerned looks on our faces. "What too soon?"

"If I could, I would punch you in the gut!" Sophia responded, giving him a dirty glare. "By the way, how long are you here for mom?"

"As long as you need me," I said seriously so that they knew I meant it.

"Well what about all that time we needed you before? But you chose the company over us?" Jamie retorted, hurt and anger clear in his voice.

"Jamie!" Lucas yelled. "Your mom is the best mom in the world, okay? Don't ever forget that."

"But its true!" James continued to argue. "When was the last time she stayed back for more than 2 nights. Heck she would come for Christmas and fly back to work before returning on the 31st!"

"Jamie, she is busy,'' Nathan reasoned. "I'm sure she wants to be with you all the time but her work demands otherwise. Do you think I'm horrible for playing for the Bobcats? Im not around everyday either. She has been here for every special day even though she has to take so many additional flights to come to see you."

"Didn't she drive through a blizzard the year before last? Because all the flights were cancelled due to a major snow storm?" Haley reminded him.

"How can any of us forget that one. She was the only one stupid enough to dare to venture out alone by car because she had to be here for Christmas and her car skid on a patch of ice and banged into a tree. We all had to drive for two and a half ours in the snow storm to pick up a stranded Brooke freezing her ass in a pile of snow. Poor Jake, we left all the kids with him and drove up to rescue this nutjob!" Peyton narrated the incident.

"That was a second time I had to save Brooke for hypothermia," Haley chimed in.

"Haley, it was like you already knew. You packed blankets and warmers and a thermos full of hot water!" Peyton complimented her.

"God, I was so sure I would die that day,'' I said. "Either from the cold or from some wild animal. I didn't even know where I was exactly. I had just 2 bars to make a phone call, and no data. You guys had to use find my iPhone to track me down because my phone died soon! It was so scary. And I got pneumonia after that! So that sucked. But I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"Jamie you better apologise to your mom here," Lucas said sternly.

"Sorry mom. You guys are right," Jamie said, but still didn't make any eye contact with me.

"I'm just gonna excuse myself and go to the ladies room,'' I said before walking out.

"Great now you upset mom," I heard Sophia yell as I walked out of the room, feeling all eyes on me.

I absent mindedly walked out of the hospital, I just needed to breathe some fresh air. Going out I looked up at the warm sunshine that was hitting my face.

"Brooke! What do you have to say about Dan Scott, the granddather almost killing your children?"

"Brooke, how are you and your husband dealing with this after your divorce and the loss of your custody over your children? Does he allow you to see them?"

"Is this going to affect your fall fashion line?"

There it was. Again and again. It was like the universe could not send me enough signs of how bad a mother I was.

I lost it, I completely broke down. I was so pissed at them that I flicked the camera of one guys shoulder, pulled the microphone from the hand of another until they were wrecked on the floor and I stomped on the broken parts trying to break them to dust.

"Get out of here, I don't care how public this street is, if you do not leave me alone, I will do to you exactly what I did to this camera and I will call the cops on you and sue you for personal harassment!" I yelled at the reporters. They stood there frozen in their spot so I started walking instead.

'Needed to step out, call if anything regarding the kids. Leave me alone otherwise.' I sent a text to Lucas before walking away.

I needed a drink. I called for an Uber to drop me of at my old spot, the Blue Post. I hadn't been in there since the day Lucas had come barging into the motel room to save me from the old man I was willing to spend the night with.

I walked into the quaint bar, it looked exactly the same even after all these years. It felt like deja vu sitting in my old spot as I ordered a few shots of tequila.

"Well we havent seen you around?" Two men immediately came behind for me. I knew this game so well and I was pissed enough to want to play it.

"Thats because I'm so new to town," I said sultrily. Hook line and sinker. They totally bought the dimwitted sexy female act.

"How about we show you around?" one of them asked me.

"But what about all these shots I ordered?" I asked, batting my eyelids, unashamed. I knew I was pushing it, but I just couldnt help myself.

"We can help you finish those?" the other said, looking at the first guy nod his head in agreement.

"How about we make a bet. If you win at pool, you get to take me around town and if I win at pool, you do whatever I want?" I asked flirtatiously after downing a shot of tequilla.

"Either way, it feels like we score!" They laughed drunkenly. God they were so not subtle.

"Can we have more shots?" I called as I gulped two down feeling a light buzz. We walked to the pool table. I hadn't played since back then, but I used to be quite the pro back in the day.

It was like riding a bike, I shot the 3 balls in, leaving the men standing there gaping. Downing two more shots, I slipped the bartender a 100 dollar bill so that he would just give me the bottle. Drinking straighty from it, I felt myself get light headed.

I had definitely become better since my 16-year-old self. I knew what my alcohol capacity was and when I needed to quit. Plus, I had to stay in my senses for the kids. My phone was on Do Not Disturb with the feature to allow calls of my friends and family to come through.

I defeated the boys at pool and asked them to get us another bottle. When they walked to the bar, I quietly slipped out, calling for another Uber to take me to Lucas'.

"God Brooke, where were you?" Lucas asked me the minute I stepped into the house.

"Out," I answered letting out a giggle.

"Are you drunk!" he asked, his voice raised.

"Nah, just a little tipsy," I answered honestly.

"Brooke! Youre 32! Act like it! How in the world did you think it was wildly okay for you to go an get drunk at a bar while our children are fighting for their dear life in the hospital!" he was so mad that for a moment I thought his eyeballs would jump out of their sockets. His voice was reaching decibels I did not know he could reach. "I-I just can't with you, Brooke! You crossed the line!"

I stood there just watching him as he paced around the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, drinking it whole so that I could feel more in my senses.

"I don't get it. You have been so good. You decided to move here until they needed you. We were acting like friends again. You put the company on hold even though it meant giving the reigns to Victoria. I thought we were going to be in this together! Guess I was wrong because one moment you are going to the bathroom only for me to learn that you fled! You know how worried I was! Tori called me flaring a 911 that you attacked some reporters and broke their equipment! The company wants to sue you!" he yelled.

"I'm sure Tori killed the piece and legal can handle it! It's what I pay them for!" I said exhasperatedly.

"Why are you doing this, Brooke! What made you think it was okay for you to leave us like that and throw yourself a party! This is - this is so messed up, it is unforgivable. I am so glad that we are divorced right now because I would just want to divorce you again after this!" and there he said it. Lucas was as stunned as I was with what came out of his mouth. He cupped his hands across his mouth the moment he said it, wishing he could take it back. But he couldn't. "I- I am so sorry, I did not mean that."

"Oh, you definitely meant it! Good that you finally got that out! Glad to help you out, Lucas!" I responded curtly. I felt his words stick knives into my heart and jump on them repeatedly to add more pain.

"But, who does that! What kind of a mother does that!" he said, still wondering what led me to my actions.

"Am I even their mother? I gave them up! Which the entire world reminds me every moment of every damn day! You think I am an unfit mother, the kids believe the same thing. You heard Jamie. No matter what, I am always gonna be the selfish one who picked her company over her children. Every magazine, everyone on social media… everyone agrees!" I voiced my fears.

Lucas' features softened. "Well you tell me what kind of a dad I am? Both my kids got shot under my care, by my dad!"

"You are not your father, Lucas. You never were," I stated simply, giving him a shoulder shrug as I stared into his eyes matter of factly.

"You are not who the tabloids say you are either, Pretty Girl," he responded.

My ears perked up at the mention of my former nickname. But I ignored it. "Well, what about what you think? You do think I am unfit, so why should I even try? It doesn't matter whether I am here or not. You are the superhero single dad whom the school emails about meetings, whom teachers recognise from PTA's. I'm just the selfish woman from the tabloids, the unfit mother to your children."

"Brooke, I didn't mean that when I said it in court all those years ago. I did not mean to hurt you, but clearly those words have been ringing in your ears ever since. I was angry, hurt, mad, scared. We had been fighting alot but never did I think we would separate. I believed that we would find a way to get past all our troubles and work it out. We had always been better as a team. We had already stood the test of distance and time so I really thought that whatever was going on was just a blimp. We had been through worse. And it just, I dont know. I'm sorry that I said that. I don't think you're a bad mother by any means, Brooke. I still call you everytime that I'm confused on how to deal with them and every single time you always have the answers. You can handle Sophia's temper tantrums and Jamie's moodiness. Remember how well you handled it when Sophia ran away to come be with you? I wanted to lock her up, and you figured out a way to frighten her back into her senses while watching her every step," he recollected.

Sophia's grades had been slipping since she joined the cheerleading squad. My girl had gone from hanging out only with Sophia and Madison to becoming the popular one. She had changed her wardrobe to bralettes and mini skirts as opposed to dark wash jeans. She was transforming into Brooke instead of Lucas.

Lucas was not having it. The clothes, the grades, the frequent shopping trips. Thet had a major fight.

"I hate you! I wan't to go live with mom instead, she understands me more. You will never understand this. You hate this industry because mom left to rule it. Hence, you are so bitter!" she had said.

She packed a bag, left a cryptic note and bought herself a plane ticket to New York using the emergency credit card.

Lucas called me, having a panic attack once he found the note. He thought that Sophia was sulking in her room.

"Brooke! Soph-Sophia! She- she left. She is coming to New York, all alone!" Lucas panted and gasped on the phone.

"What do you mean?" I asked him sternly.

"We had a fight, she said she wants to live with you. I thought it was just one of the things you say to your parent, but she left. She is gone!"

"Lucas, she is fourteen!" I screamed. "Okay, this is happening. I will deal with it. Let her come to New York, I will scare her wits out so bad, she will think a million times before doing anything that stupid ever again."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked but I had already begun execution.

"Millie, call my credit card company right now. The last transaction must be for a flight ticket from Tree Hill to New York. Get the flight details. Call the airline company and tell them to get an airhostess to keep an eye on Sophia. Request them to ensure that it is subtle. She and Jamie fly here every other week, so they know how it works. Now, I usually send Sanjay to drive them but we need her to learn a lesson. However, my child is not wandering the streets alone so send Sanjay, that sweet Indian old man driver to follow and make sure she reaches the office safely. She always flies in the day. New York in the night will be enough to scare that idiot child."

Lucas heard everything on the phone while Millie got into action as well.

"Don't worry, Luke. I will return her to you safely," I promised before ending the call.

I waited in the office for her impatiently, crossing and uncrossing my legs. I definitely could not get any work done.

"Mill, where is she? Send me the flight tracking details," I requested.

"She just landed, she should be on her way here shortly. I called the airline, Sophia had a first class ticket, so she flew in fine. She should make it out of the airport shortly. Sanjay is already out there, waiting at the exit terminal at the gate for her flight. He will tail whatever cab she gets in," Millie replied.

"I'd be helpless without you Mills! You should go home, I will take it from here," I smiled at my closest friend in city.

"No, you will just go hysterical. Here, I called for some takeout for you from the deli across the street. It's that tofu salad you love. Have it while we wait. But are you sure she will come to the office and not the apartment?" she asked while handing me a styrofoam box.

"Thanks," I smiled, grateful for the food. "Yeah, she will come here. She knows me."

Eventually, Sophia got to my office on the topmost floor of the building. She looked scared, her tears were ready to roll out of her eyes.

I smiled at her and stretched my arms wide, ready to engulf her in a hug. My child was ten again as she ran into them and sobbed. I put her onto my lap and cooed at her, gently rocking her back and forth in order to calm her down.

Once she was settled, I got into stern mother mode which Sophia was petrified of.

"What wires in your brain short-circuited that you thought that it was okay for you, a fourteen year old CHILD to leave the house, WITHOUT INFORMING US, and fly across state lines! You know how bad it could have been? You are a child Sophia! You cannot even cross the street without informing us. What if something happened to you? You really believe that it is safe for a girl your age to roam around on the streets of New Yrok all alone? You could have been kidnapped, or mugged or some drunkards could have - you know what, I don't even want to get there. I could have lost you Sophia and we would have been helpless because we didn't know where you were. I know you fly over a lot, but I always have people, people I trust with you. The same air hostess is always with you on every flight, Sanjay always has the limo pick you up and either your dad or Nathan and Haley always drop you to the airport and you always have your brother with you to take care of you. You could have been stalked or held for ransom! This was so stupid of you! Kid, I'm sorry but you also happen to have extremely rich parents and I live in the public eye. Here, people know your face. Hence you live in Tree Hill where you can live normally without having random people stalk you. In New York, you as Brooke Davis' child could cost me a pretty ransom! And I promise you kid, they are always lurking!"

Sophia was ballistic by then. She was shivering and hiccuping and crying, barely able to breathe. I knew that my message had sunk in, so I eased down and went back to motherly Brooke.

"Shh, it's okay. You will never do anything like this again. I know you feel terrible. I spoke to your dad and he said it is okay if I decide your punishment. All I wanna do is swat your backside so you never think this is okay. But you're grounded for a week for your grades slipping another for using the emergency credit card for a bullshit reason a third for flying cross state unsupervised and fourth for the panic you put us in. No TV, you hand over your laptop, iPad and phone to me. If you need the laptop for school purposes, you can ask your dad and use his. You are going to go and apologise to your teachers about your grades and beg and I mean really beg and grovel to get assignments for extra credit to pull your grades back up. If you dont have your grades on a B average, you can kiss this years sunmer trip goodbye and to think I was planning to take you to Florence! Its slowly becoming a fashion capital." I said.

Sophia began to whisper apologies between her sobs.

"It's okay, people make mistakes but this was poor poor poor judgement and very risky and unsafe and you're my child. If something happens to you, your dad and I will never be able to live. You know how scary it was for us. I know you know… Sanjay texted me how much you were shivering trying to hail a cab here," I said while rubbing her back.

"Wait, Sanjay was there!?" she asked, surprised.

"Of course, I had him follow you Princess," I winked. "I had people watching out for you ever since you made it to the airport. Nobody can touch a hair on your head, atleast not on my watch. Now, let's get you home and fed. Its Wednesday already, Lucas agreed to call school and say that you're sick so you cant come for 2 days, then I am flying you back home on Saturday. You are still grounded, so do not even remotely think that this is a vacation for you to skip school and have a merry time. You're coming with me to the office and I think you can intern, you know, give everyone their mail, and get them their coffees. We work long hours, so everyone is quite irritable. You better not get them wrong."

"You dont want me to live with you?" she asked, completely nonplussed.

"Honey! You really think that! I want nothing more than you and your brother to be with me! It breaks my heart every single time that I am forced to say goodbye. You two are the most precious things, you are my heart. I love you so so so much," I said to her.

"I find it so odd that the Court granted sole custody to dad. They usually always side with the mom and it wasnt like you were a crackhead or anything," she said her thoughts out aloud.

"Uhh…. Honey, I guess youre old enough to know this now. The court never granted your father sole custody. I voluntarily surrendered my rights to you two. Yes, we did go to court, but we finished it off with a settlement," I said. There it was, the cat was out of the bag. They were old enough to know. Lucas had lied to them and said that it was court mandated so that they would not hate me. He needed them to know that I would fight for them and do anything to be in their lives.

I could see the Earth slip from underneath my daughter's toes and all I wanted to do was hold her, but I knew better.

"What! Why! I dont understand! Why would you do that!? You said you love us! Why would you do that! Why would you give me up?" she asked, a new batch of tears falling down her face that looked more and more like mine everyday.

"Sophia," I said taking a step towards her but she backed away from me, putting her arms around herself as a shield and armour.

"Dad told us that he won. The court granted custody to him," she said, more to herself than me.

"He thought it was better that way. You wouldn't hate me. I am still very much a part of your life and a decision maker even though legally, I have no rights to you and your brother," Every word I said felt like boulder being placed on my shoulder.

"Did you hate us? Did you think we would stop you from building what, this stupid fashion empire? Were Jamie and I not good enough for you?" she continued to argue.

"Sophia, you and Jamie are and were everything to me. Never ever ever doubt that. You two are the only people in my that matter. Nothing else, not the company and not even myself. I would fight the world for you," I said, my eyes were burning red with my own tears and emotions.

"Then why didnt you? You had your moment to fight? Why didnt you if you claim this? This is so hypocritical, right from a soap opera -" she yelled but I cut her off.

"It was because I could not fight him!" There I said it, the dam broke within. "I-I-I-I-I wanted nothing more than to be with you and Jamie and be with Lucas. I loved him so much that it broke me and him in the process. I asked for a divorce, I put him through that misery. I chose to leave. I was selfish. I was wrong. I didn't deserve my dream of a picture perfect family because I chose to go live for my other dream. I didn't deserve the two of you. And I could not face him or fight him. And so I let you two go and with that I lost my heart, became a shell just like this company…. It is legally a person but it has no heart, no emotions, it just lives on and on and on with nothing to look forward to just out of lack of choice thereof. I was back at square one where I had to mandatorily ask lucas for permission before I did anything pertaining to you two. He decided if and when I got to see you and for how long…. If I could be there or not. He won."

Sophia just stared at me, not knowing how to respond.

— — –

Lucas' reminder of the incident made me look up towards the ceiling in hopes that gravity could make the tears travelling to my eyelids fall back down to where they came from.

"I think youre the exact opposite," Lucas continued. "You had no parental figure growing up, you had to figure this entire thing out all on your own and look at the incredible teenagers we have. Who sometimes do say stupid shit that they most definitely do not mean. But yeah. And that divorce comment…"

I burst out crying at that moment, despite trying very hard to stifle my tears.

"That speaks more about the kind of guy that I am than the kind of person you are. You didnt deserve that," he said.

"Don't lie to me now. Those thoughts had been churning in you ever since Clothes over Bros got incorporated," I spat out.

"No Brooke, it was a fit of the moment rage thing. I didn't mean it one bit. I wish I could take back what I said to you. I was so horrible. I don't wanna be horrible to you." Lucas wrapped me in a bear hug and kept saying how sorry he was about what he said and how I was a great mom.

"I dont know if I believe you," I whispered.

"Brooke, how you behaved today was not okay. But what I said that day in Court was not okay either. Now if you don't believe me, I will keep reminding you till you do, but I am sorry for everything that I did," he said. I felt something sink in me. He really had a way with words. Every cell in my body just wanted to kiss his lips. Who was I kidding? All this time with him and I was slowly falling for him again, if I could even say that I was ever over him that is.

"My head hurts, I'm going to bed." I said quickly before entering Jamie's room. I thought that if I wore another of Lucas' shirts with his scent I wouldn't be able to resist jumping his bones, so I opted to just sleep in my underwear instead, pulling the comforter all the way up to my chin. I saw Lucas just be on his phone through the crack in the door. What was I thinking playing this dangerous game with my ex, sharing a bed with him while he had a girlfriend! But despite it all, I really did not want anything to change. All I wanted was for him to finally join me in bed so I could curl up into him even if I could not have my way with him.

My prayers were answered. "I got you an aspirin and water," he said, entering the door.

"Thanks," I responded, before sitting up to take it, letting the duvet fall off, revealing me just in my bra, but I quickly pulled the covers back up.

"Mum and Andy plan on leaving tomorrow. Now that the twins are out of the woods, Andy has to get back to work. She said they will come back to visit once the twins are at home and better," he informed me.

"That's good, you get your hard bed back!" I laughed as a few strands of my hair fell on my eyes.

He smiled as he walked towards me and gently tucked the loose curls behind my ear. My body couldn't help it as I began blushing.

"I'm having trouble sleeping, can you read to me like you used to during my pregnancy? Just for ten mins, then go back to the couch and sext with Lindsay," I said, dropping my head onto the pillow and turning to my side. I hated drunk bold Brooke.

My mind went back to how I used to fall asleep in New York. Lucas had recorded audiobooks of his stories. I had them all and the only way I fell asleep was crying while I played them and heard them on repeat. They broke me and soothed me simultaneously.

She was fiercely independant. Brooke Davis. Brilliant, and beautiful, and brave. In 2 years she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday. And I'm not sure she even knows it.

Lucas picked up a Stienbeck and sat down besides me, he began to read, but I was restless.

"You know what, forget it. Just go, I'll maybe go organise Jamie's closet or something until I get tired," I was still wound high from our fight.

"Brooke, I'm sorry I said that," he repeated.

"And I am sorry for how I behaved today," I said before sitting up again to get out of bed and clean.

"Come here you," Lucas said before grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. I gave a whelp as I landed on his lap with a thud, his bones hurting my head.

"Lucas! Just go. Don't listen to drunk Brooke!" I argued, trying to fight his hands and get up. He held me down firmly.

"You need to promise me that you believe that it was a mistake on my part to have said that and not your part. Then you need to promise me that you are going to stick to your words and stay the course of their recovery and that you are not going to run at the first sign of trouble like your fifteen-year-old self," he said it so simply that I gave him a befuddled look.

"What's the point? I don't get my custody back, the kids still know that I left them and walked out and they still hate me," I reasoned with him.

"How about we seek legal and get a new contract for joint custody? We will obviously have to talk to the twins first about it, but we, we can figure it out," he said.

"What's the point from New York? I want them to live here," I cried. "Lucas, just forget it. I'm just going to try and sleep, even though it's pointless. Just you sleep here, I'll take the office couch."

Lucas held me down. He punched his arms, but he refused to let me go. It did not help that I was literally in only my underwear or that Lucas was shirtless. I fight, but I realise it's a losing battle. So I mutter some fowl words under my breath and close my eyes to try and sleep.

— — –

LUCAS' POV

She is only in her underwear. A sight that I have seen sooo many times, heck everyone has. Brooke had done several photoshoots to promote her lingerie brand. A quick search on the internet would give you more than enough pictures to fulfill all your fantasies. It still amazed me though that I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She looked so gorgeous there in my lap where I could keep hee secured.

I brushed her soft hair bringing my head closer to take a whiff. I know that I shouldn't but I just couldn't help it. This girl was so complicated and everything about our relationship was so messed up, but I still absolutely adored her, despite everything that went down. She was wild and crazy, yet she had the biggest heart out there. There was no doubt about it.

My chest constricted everytime I saw her photographed with other men or when another photoshoot of her in close to nothing would come out knowing that she was gonna be the fantasized by several men.

I spent a few moments just warching her, finally feeling her soft skin. Even though there was just one lamp on, I finally took the time to admire her features. Her face had definitely matured from the baby face she carried as a 16 year old but there wasn't a wrinkle or line in sight. Her hair now had hazelunt highlights instead of the all natural chocolate locks she donned in high school. Her body had changed from the stick thin high schooler to a lean lady. She never had a stomach. The curves she developed post pregnancy never made her look fat even though she had cried that none of her old jeans fit her right anymore. Hell, if i could admit it, she looked even more gorgeous now than she did 16 years ago. I traced her face with my finger, just barely so that I would not wake her up. All I wanted was to kiss her red lips and melt in them.

She stirred a little, moving to sleep on her side as she put her arms around my waist, her head almost burying itself into my stomach. Since she was now on her side, I rubbed her back and her thin waist to ease her. She smiled as my hand reached the back of her neck. I traced patterns there, seeing her smile her dorky Brooke smile, not her boss lady Brooke smile.

I figured it was best if I got some sleep as well but I just didn't want to move her. She looked just so perfect and angelic in my lap. Her arms were around me and she had brought her feet close to her chest as well she must have been cold in just her bra and panties. She was just a little ball in my lap. I got the comforter up and covered her with it.

I felt sad, I had hurt her so much. That one sentence I said had made her so vulnerable that she lost everything. My one tiny misjudgement cost the girl that I cared for so much. I needed to figure out a way to make things right for her, yet I didn't know how. I would figure out a way. I had studied about the ancient Indian scripture, the Mahabharat, where one ill-said line had resulted in an entire war of good vs evil. Had that one line not been said, the history of the entire Asian subcontinent would have been so different. Of course, what I said hadn't resulted in a war and bloodshed, but it had definitely shattered the life and world of one.

I'm not sure when exactly I fell asleep but I did wake in the morning with a horribly sore neck at 5 am. Although it was dark, I managed to make the frame of a sleeping Brooke, still so comfortable in my lap. My feet had gone numb from the lack of movement, but it didnt matter. In that moment I wouldn't change a thing. When she woke up that morning, she instinctively stretched her arm accidentally punching me in my gut

"Oh! Oh my god! Oh no! Did i hurt you bad!" she yelled after hearing me groan.

"God Brooke, where did all that power come from?" I asked, hissing in pain.

"I am so so so sorry Luke! It doesnt look bad enough to bruise." Before she or I knew what she was doing, she kissed the spot where her fist had collided moments ago.

I felt electric jolts run up my body as I felt her soft lips on me. It took everything for me to not moan or you know, let her feel anything where she was currently lying.

"Oh gosh sorry! I'm still so sleepy it was just instinctive to do that," she tried to cover her actions.

"It's okay. I didnt hate it," I said honestly.

She gave me a smile before rolling out of my lap and rubbing my feet.

"Why didnt you move me after I slept Broody? I thought we agreed that we weren't going to share a bed. Your feet must be dead by now," she said to me.

"You're very light, they dont hurt," I smiled enjoying the feeling of her hands massaging my legs. "But seriously, that was some punch especially since you just woke up."

"Yeah, my personal trsiner has me doing kickboxing. Too many bad experiences, people thinking its okay to grab women," she said offhandedly.

"I wish that I was there to fend those jerks away," I said, feeling anger bubbling that people thought it was okay to grab my wife, sorry, I meant ex-wife.

"Yeah, well women can do anything, including kicking perverts where it is bound to hurt," she smiled.

"Have you ever done that? Oh wait, yes, just yesterday to those poor poor reporters that you have to be to nice with!" I joked.

"Ha ha! Very funny," she retorted. "Broody, I can't believe I'm gonna say this but I don't want to face the kids. Jamie scares me."

I laughed, "Brooke, he is your son!"

"Yeah, but he is so mad at me," she reminded me, but all I was thinkin of was how she had just called me Broody.

"I hadn't heard that in so long, Broody," I said to her, completely changin the topic.

"Well you started it with the Pretty Girl business. So now I cant help it, its like this can of worms opened in my brain," she said with hand gestures.

"Hey I get it, Pretty Girl. We have way too much history. It is bound to come in weird ways, we cant change the past," I said in order to appease both our guilty consciences.

"Would you want to if you could? Change things?" she asked me.

I thought for a moment before replying to her question, "With Dan hitting my mom, almost raping you, and shooting our children, 100% yes. What I said to you in court, yes. The rest of it, no."

"What about Dan hitting you? Wouldn't you wanna change that?" she asked. I didn't expect her to catch that I had left myself out.

"Well if I did, I kinda sorta wouldn't meet you and then we wouldnt have two kids who scare you so much," I laughed. I knew that I was pushing my luck, but I couldnt help myself. We hadn't been so informal with each other in almost a decade.

"What about the divorce, that didn't make your list either," she asked me.

I looked at her as if she had caught me lying. "I would like to change things there, the way they ended, how and why they ended, the fact that they ended. Now, your turn! What would you wanna change?"

"Putting the company before you," she said and with that she got up to go to the bathroom and get dressed leaving me startled on the bed.

"Karen must you go? I miss your cooking so much!" I heard Brooke whine once I got out of the room after I was dressed. I just stood there where they would not be able to see me and listened in.

"We will be back in a few weeks and I will stuff you up. Youre far too thin. What do you eat in New York?" my mom asked her.

"A tonne of rice bowls and cold pizza. I hired a cook once, but ended up living on deli food anyway," she answered as my mom put some more pieces of fruit on her plate.

I saw my mom roll her eyes rolled her eyes.

"I still find it funny to have a sister-in-law who is younger than my children," Brooke joked as she popped a raspberry in her mouth.

"Wait ex-sister in law. Sorry. Sometimes I forget that I'm not actually a part of this family anymore." she corrected herself.

"Brooke, you were my daughter long before you agreed to marry my son. And you will always be a daughter to me and that means you will always be my family and a part of this family. Am i understood?" I appreciated my mom so much in that moment.

"Capiche," I heard her say.

"How long is Luke gonna be, Brooke?" my mom asked her.

"If he is running a cold shower like i think he is, he should br out in another 10 minutes," I heard her say. Oh God, she had definitely felt what I didn't want her to feel while she lay on my lap this morning and kissed my gut.

Andy looked up from his paper and Karen widened her eyes, "Wait, did you two?"

"Oh good god no! No way! God, I am not gonna do that with my ex," she yelled aloud. "I am not a cheater."

"You two are mature adults, we can't say anything anymore-" I heard my mom say.

"Thanks, Karen but no. We just slept and that was a mistake too. Its going to be separate rooms from now," Brooke clarified.

"If you say so," Andy smirked from his paper.

"Andy!" Brooke said, totally aghast. "Oh look who is here! Lucas!"

"How was the cold shower"? Andy smirked at me.

"What just happened?" I pretended as if I had not been listening in.

"Trust me boy, neither of us wants to actually know. Just you two be careful okay? I know you two are adults so I have no authority to butt into your lives, but it can't be easy living together again, sharing a bed. Just please don't do anything that can ruin the already unstable lives of two children. They need the two of you, but they also need structure… a system, balance," my mom advised.

"Don't worry Maa, Brooke and I are just friends and co parents," I said and saw Brooke nod her head in agreement.

— — –

BROOKE'S POV

"Thanks for the waffles, Karen" I said before going to the living room.

"What did you say to them?" Lucas asked, following me outside.

"Nothing, I made a joke about a cold shower, that's it. Im innocent!" I said, fluttering my eyelashes typically.

"God I still feel like I'm twelve in front of her!" Lucas complained.

"You and me both buddy, come on let's go. But is it wrong, sharing a bed, sharing space. It is wrong right? Why are we doing it? Its weird and yet not? I dont know, its messed up for sure," I voiced another time. We had been playing this dance for too long now. Do it, feel guilty, repeat. Why couldn't I stop myself then?

"We just went through something traumatic. The comfort feels good. We are enjoying that. There is nothing more two it. Its not a fairytale…. It's just I don't know, its what we are doing right now because that's what we feel. We dont have to label it or explain it. Let's just not think about it," Lucas suggested.

"You do know that it was my inability to sleep and your hero complex that led to well 2 babies and a broken marriage right? Do you fail to see the pattern?" I reminded him.

Isn't this the part where you remind me of Lindsey? We will have 3 empty bedrooms tonight. You can take your pick from the kids and I can enjoy my perfectly soft bed!" I sniggered.

"Fine! That does seem like a better option," I crossed my arms around me. I could not go through thag rut again. It felt absolutely delicious to be in his lap, falling asleep to him reading to me. But we could not get close again, it would only break us. Especially since my life was in New York and I would have to go back once the twins were back to their old selves. I knew he agreed to change the terms of the custody agreement, but I did not see the point.

"Atleast we won't have any more reporters today after you went all she hulk on them," Lucas said, breaking my trail of thoughts.

"Not my proudest moment. I haven't even checked with Legal or PR. There has been less company work and more personal damage control going on at the office," I sighed.

"I'm sure they must have handled it. After all it's Brooke Davis, they must be used to it by now," he guffawed.

"Say that again and you will find another punch coming your way today," I ended our banter. "What time are you dropping the Hargroes to the airport?"

"Right about now, I figured I would meet you at the hospital directly after I dropped them off," he said. "You could take one of the kids' cars."

"Uhh…. would I be terrible if I decided to wait here and go with you?" I asked, closing my eyes as I was afraid to see his reaction.

"Brooke Davis, are you really that scared of our child?" Lucas asked, laughing his guts out. "I-I just, please can you come pick me up once you are done dropping them off at the airport! Please?"

"Sure, Pretty Girl. Why don't you sleep some more. I'll be back in about 2 hours and then we can go up there so our idiot son can do some more apologising.

"You know I was often asked when I started doing red carpets…." I said, beginning to recount an old incident.

"So, we caught up with Brooke Davis, young, hot designer of Clothes Over Bro's. Now, Brooke, let me ask you this. Do you ever miss just being young?" a journalist asked me.

"I am young," I responded with a devilish smile.

"Yeah, but acting young. Not being the boss of this huge corporation, or you know a mother of two children, but being Brooke Davis, 21-year-old girl?" he continued to ask.

My entire demeanour changed as I felt my throat run dry, "Sure, I miss it."

"Thank you. We have to move on," Victoria said, she knew I was becoming vulnerably and that was something she could not tolerate.

"Clothes Over Bro's is my dream come true. This is what I wished for," I smiled before smiling for pictures, publicising my latest couture design and walking in.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked me.

"I don't know," I confessed. "I guess, I am just comfortable being vulnerable with you."

Lucas smiled before exiting to put the Hargroves' luggage in the boot of his car.

I didn't know why I was being that scared, but I just did not want to be at the hospital all by myself. I had gone with Lucas every single day so far. I still felt a migraine from last night, so I went into Lucas and my old bedroom where Karen had put new sheets and decided to take a nap before Lucas came. My clothes would arrive today, but I was yet in Sophia's ripped jeans and t-shirt, so I rummaged through Lucas' closet and put on one of his sweatshirts before snuggling into the covers.

'Hey Mill, can you also order a shipment for a new mattress for a king size and send it to Luke's? Send new covers, throws, the whole set up. Something blue to match the room,' I texted Millie before pulling the covers all the way over my head and succumbing to the darkness.

Suddenly I felt someone literally jump on top of me, almost crushing my bones! I groaned in pain as I shot up, pulling the duvet from over my head and screaming.

"What!" I screamed seeing a fake brunette sitting on top of me.

"You're not Lucas!" Lindsey said, still sitting atop me.

"Yeah, it's Brooke! What are you doing here? How did you get in?" I asked, pushing her from on top of me. Thank God for those kickboxing lessons.

"Hey Pretty Girl, are you in there- Whoaaa! Lindsey! How did you get in here?" Lucas said, entering the room.

I shook my head, feeling my migraine settling back in.

"Lucas, hi! I came to surprise you. I wrapped the book early and caught the first flight back. How are you?" she asked, walking towards him and hugging him. God, that girl made me want to throw up!

"What is that girl doing in your bed?" she whispered to him, but was quite loud. I narrowed my eyes at Lucas who looked at me helplessly while Lindsey still continued to hug him.

"Okay, I'm gonna go get dressed. Lucas, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes and then we can leave?" I asked, completely ignoring the additional person in the room.

"Uh, yeah sure. With that, I dropped the duvet and climbed out of the bed, still wearing only Lucas' sweatshirt. I ensured that I bent down as slowly and sexily as I could to grab the clothes I had taken off and tossed on the floor. I was still Brooke Davis and I knew how to put on a show. The two of them eyed me, gaping but for entirely different reasons. I knew that my underwear clad butt must have caught both their sights despite the sweatshirt being large on me. To my advantage, it also fell from my shoulders just the right amount. I gave them both the most innocent smile I could muster as if I had not just witnessed them eyeing me and walked into the bathroom to change.

"Lucas! Why is she in your room and in your clothes!" Lindsey was yelling outside the door.

"It's not what you think. She is just staying here, you know since the kids are hurt," Lucas tried to reason with her.

"But aren't the kids in the hospital?" she continued to scream.

"Yeah they are," Lucas responded curtly.

"Then why is she staying here? Can't she stay at a hotel or something?" Lindsey continued to argue.

"Lucas, are you ready to go?" I emerged from the door, dressed in Soph's tight jeans and top.

"Yeah, let's go. Lindsey, do you want to join us?" Lucas offered.

"Yeah, sure. How have you been? I have been so worried about you?" she asked.

"How do you think Linds? Both my children had their intestines blown by their grandfather!" Lucas said, pissed at her line of questioning.

We walked to the car and I walked to the passenger side. I was so used to Lucas getting the car door for me, in fact I saw him take a few steps in my direction before stopping dead in his tracks. Lindsey placed her hand on the door handle and looked at me. "That's my spot," she snarled.

I raised my hands up in the air guiltily and walked to the backseat. Lucas got in the driever's seat and looked at me apologetically. I just rolled my eyes and decided to look out of the window.

"So Brooke, when did you get here?" Lindsey began interrogating me.

"The day they were shot, Lindsey," I spat. I couldn't believe the gall of this woman.

"Oh, okay. And how long are you going to be here for?" she continued.

Lucas gave her a death glare, but she seemed to be oblivious to it.

"She will be here for as long as the kids need," Lucas answered for me which made me smile.

Lindsey was silent for the rest of the car ride, thankfully. We got out and Lucas and I walked in with Lidsey trailing behind us, grabbing Lucas' hand for him to hold. I saw them curl their fingers together.

We walked into the ICU and got the shock of our lives. The kids were missing!

"Nurse Holly, where are the twins?" I asked her, my voice going octave.

"Oh hey Scott family, didn't anybody tell you? The kids are doing really well so we shifted them to the regular ward, double room so they are together. The doctor just checked on them, he said that if they continue this way, he is positive they can be home before the end of the week!" she informed us.

"Oh my God! Thank you!" I said, going ahead to hug the kind lady.

""Just doing my job!" she said, hugging me back and patting my shoulder. "They are in room 269."

"Here's a little something for all your hard work, I know how hairraising those twins can be. Thank you so much for everything," I said, passing her a couple of hundred dollar bills.

"Why, there is no need Mrs. Scott," she said, handing me the money back.

"I really insist. You saved their lives and dealt with their tantrums. Lucas here loves to spoil them. Also, it's Ms. Davis actually," I corrected her for the first time.

"What? Really?" she asked, quite surprised. "I would have never known. You two work better than most married people whose kids land up here. Trust me, hospitals can bring out the worst in most people."

"Yeah, divorced 7 years," I said.

"Well, that's a shame. His loss. But, thank you for the generous tip, Ms. Davis," she said before walking away.

We made our way to the general pediatric ward to find Jamie and Sophia talking and laughing.

"About time you guys showed up!" Sophia said once she saw us by the door.

"Hi Jamie," I greeted, crossing my arms at my chest defensively as I was afraid to enter the room. Lucas realised this as he put his hand on my back and pushed me inside.

"Oh mom! I am so sorry. I really didn't mean what I said yesterday," Jamie apologised. "Sophia here has been literally been narrating true crime stories of absentee parents, and well, you're not one. She also won't stop reminding me how you always make it for all the big stuff and even the little stuff. It's okay that you miss a few games and things here and there. You're one of the good ones."

I walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Oh, Squirt, I love you so much!" I cried.

"Hey what about me!" Sophia yelled from the other bed. Jamie let me go as I walked up to her and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Wait, what is she doing here?" Sophia asked just as I was moving away. I looked in the direction she was pointing at. Lindsey stood by the door with Lucas.

"She came to check on you guys. Isn't that nice?" I said sarcastically, taking the seat in the middle of both their beds.

"Dad, did you seriously bring her here?" Jamie asked. He was never one for subtlety.

"Jamie…" Lucas said, warningly.

"So how are you feeling today?" Lindsey asked the twins.

"How about you get shot and then we can compare notes?" Sophia suggested.

"Lucas, I'm sure Lindsey must be super hungry after her flight. Why don't the two of you hit the cafeteria or the vending machines?" I suggested before the twins said anything worse to upset her. Lucas got his cue and was out of the door in a jiffy, grabbing Lindsey by the arm so that she followed.

"And I thought this was a good day, considering we moved out of the ICU!" Sophia complained.

"Princess, hey. I despise Lindsey just as much as the next person, I will admit. God what does that boy see in her. However, we have to play nice for your father's sake okay? She might just end up being your step-mom," I said, though I tasted bile in my mouth at the mere thought of that.

"That's the day I get emancipated!" Jamie said, "No way am I living in the same house as her."

"Jame, Soph! Seriously, what had that woman done to garner so much hate? She isn't all that terrible, right?" I asked inquisitively.

"You do remember her from when you were married to dad at least, right?" James asked me.

"Yeah, but, kids! Those were my insecurities at play. Your dad and I were having troubles and he went and confided in her and I couldn't deal with that. Yet, he had every right to. It's not like she begged him to tell her, she didn't really do anything wrong," I said truthfully.

"Mom, have you ever spoken to Aunt Haley about Lindsey?" Sophia asked me.

"No, why.?" I asked.

"We promised her that we wouldn't tell you or dad. Ask her about Lindsey," Jamie chimed in.

"Actually, how do you think Haley got to know? What if I told you I already know what you guys are talking about?" I said, deciding to come clean.

"Wait, you know about her affair with the other guy?" Jamie asked, baffeled at how calm I was.

"Yeah, I do. Samuel Cross. He graduated from the University of San Diego, he is 28, has no parents, 2 siblings and no priors. He has written 2 books but neither one is doing very well in the market and he is sleeping with your father's girlfriend!" I listed out.

"Wait what! How do you know so much about him and her!" Sophia asked.

"She was getting serious which meant she was spending real time with the two of you, so I had her background checked out. I hired a private investigator to tail her, ensure she was legit," I said.

"I better call Zack, tell him to go underground!" Sophia joked.

"You better think twice before skipping school or doing anything illegal, honey! Mama has contacts!" I said jokingly, but not jokingly.

"But wait, if you know she is a lying skeeving bit- I mean horrid human being. Why have you not told dad?" Sophia asked.

"Well, she isn't a murderer, or a witch looking for her next sacrifice and yeah, if somebody I was serious with cheated on me, he would be dead. Yet, her relationship to your dad is absolutely none of my business and I literally don't have any rights to butt in. She is not going to hurt you in any way, and that's all that matters," I said, my face gloomy.

"Is that really all that matters? It's dad mom. You cared about that him so much. We have heard stories from Uncle Nathan and Jake and Skills and Aunt Haley and Peyton and Grandma Karen and…." Jamie dawdled.

"Yeah yeah, everyone here was a Brucas shipper, I get it. I had to be the bearer of bad news and tell them all that we were splitting," I said, not wanting to relive those painful memories.

"Don't you care for dad anymore?" Sophia asked simply.

"I care enough to not want him to go through another bad break up. Us breaking up nearly killed your father. I don't want to see him broken again. Maybe Lindsey will get her act together before Lucas decides to pop the question. Although he doesn't even let her spend the night with him, so you know, she is going to look for comfort elsewhere, I get it and Lucas is nowhere ready to marry her," I stated honestly.

"I am not going to let dad marry a cheater!" Sophia said angrily.

"So, if she is not a cheater, you're okay with a step-mom?" I asked, kinking my eyebrow at her, getting the truth out.

"Uhh- well… frankly….. No," she said in a subdued voice.

"Your father is very young and very hot and very available. He looks that good, he writes, quotes books and we know how great he is with kids. He is the complete deal and he deserves to be with someone who can make him happy. We all know that he is only holding back for your sake. Now I am not saying that you have to be ready tomorrow, but you need to learn to be okay with the idea that in the future, there may be another woman who lives with ya'll and does all the motherly things that I can't given my location. She will come to every game and make homemade brownies for the bake sale, something I can never do. I will still always be your mother and I will kick the ass of whoever tries to challenge that, but let your dad be happy, even if it is cheating Lindsey," I explained to them.

"What about you, mom? No step-dads? How is Julian by the way?" Jamie asked.

"He is fine. He is filming a new movie in LA with Alex Dupre. He actually has been asking about the two of you everyday since the news broke out. He was really glad to know that you were both awake and doing fine. He said that once he can get a day off, if you would like it, he would fly to Tree Hill and get you those strawberry doughnuts you two love so much from that place he always gets them from," I said.

"You completely ignored the step-dad question," Jamie caught me. He wasn't one to get caught in sly doughnut gimmicks.

"Nope. No step-dads. I had great love in my life and it didn't work. I am done," I answered.

"Mom, just remarry dad and save us all the trouble. You clearly are both still head over heels in love with each other and it is obvious to everyone but the two of you, well three. Lindsey is dumb. But the two of you belong together," Sophia said while falling asleep.

"What she said," Jamie seconded, still awake.

I saw Lucas and Lindsey walking back towards the room. "There they come Jimmy Jam, not a word about our conversation. Just please you and your sister remember just how much your father deserves happiness," I said before giving Lindsey an awkward fake smile.