"I can't thank you enough for letting me have the house for the meeting," Brooke told Julian as Brooke went around to make sure the living room was set up nicely for their guests.

Making sure magazines were lined up. Checking to see there were no crumbs on the sofa. No trash on the floor. It was driving Julian crazy, especially since he knew she was not a tidy person. However, he knew she needed to keep busy.

"After running into him at the café this morning, I knew that it wasn't the right place to tell him about Ethan. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, this house will be half yours soon," Julian reminded her. "This way, you will have no interruptions. Both my dad and Victoria are at work. Ethan is at the babysitter's and Sam is with Jack."

Brooke made a face when she heard the name of Sam's boyfriend.

Julian saw the look. "Give her a break. He's her first boyfriend. You don't remember how Victoria reacted to your first boyfriend? Do you really want to be like her?"

"Victoria hasn't approved of any of my boyfriends," Brooke said in annoyance. "If she had it her way, I would be dating Alexander Coin."

Julian went back to the original subject. "Are you sure you had no idea Mouth was friends with this Lucas Scott?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, I had no idea. I know he talked about his best friend Jimmy Edwards, and there was his friends Skills." She thought for a moment. Her eyes went wide as she came to a realization. "Oh my god! I now remember him telling me about his friend's wedding and it was the last name of Scott. It never occurred to me that they were connected."

"Ok. I think you have cleaned up the living room enough," Julian said as he gently pulled her away from the living room. "They aren't coming to inspect the house, remember?"

Brooke let out a heavy sigh. "I know, but this is an important meeting. I'm telling the father of my child that he's a dad. A dad who missed out on three-and-a-half years of his son's life. Why? Because I didn't follow up after not getting a response from him when I tried to contact him in the first place."

"Is there any chance he might have gotten the letter and he decided not to have any contact with him?" Julian asked.

Brooke had considered the possibility back when she first heard no response from him. However, she shook her head. "No, there's no way Lucas would not deny to get to know his son. That's one of the reasons why we connected with each other. We were both abandoned by our biological dads and we both said we would never do that to our own children."

Julian's eyes went wide as he came to a realization. Before he could respond, they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. They knew it was their guests.

Julian saw the panic in Brooke's eyes. "You go take a few deep breaths and I'll go answer the door."

Brooke nodded and she went to the nearest bedroom to calm herself down. That was the beauty of Julian's house. Both the master bedroom and one of the guestrooms were on the first floor and Julian was willing to give up his room so Brooke and Ethan could be on the same floor. Brooke was grateful for the offer, and she accepted only after Julian insisted on it.

She closed her eyes and slowly breathed in. After she held it for a few seconds, she let the breath out. She did that for a few more times. It helped her relax and clear her mind.

It still didn't make her feel comfortable enough to tell Lucas right then, but she knew she had to do this. It was the right thing to do and it was better to hear it from her than someone else. She took one last deep breath before she left the bedroom.

Brooke put on a polite smile as she joined her guests in the living room. Lucas and Haley were sitting on one of the two sofas Julian had.

Haley gave her a friendly smile back. "Good afternoon, Brooke."

"Good afternoon," Brooke said.

She didn't even have to ask where Julian was. The living room was right next to the kitchen and it was an open concept space. It was even close enough where there wouldn't be any private conversations between people unless someone went in one of the bedrooms or the bathroom which was right in between the two bedrooms.

"Brooke, did you want anything?" Julian asked as he made a pot of coffee.

"I'll just have a glass of water," Brooke said as she sat down on the other sofa.

"We took a little tour around Tree Hill," Haley said, starting up the conversation. She knew Lucas was still upset, and she wanted to keep the conversation light before they went onto the heavy subject. "I didn't realize how breathtaking it is. My husband and I have always lived in big cities like Los Angeles and New York. So this town definitely has a different feel. Have you guys always lived here?"

Brooke nodded as Julian began serving them their drinks. "Yeah, we both grew up here. I lived here all of my life and Julian moved here when his parents divorced. His mom and my mom were college roommates so we were happy to help them out."

"How did you two end up stepsiblings?" Haley asked before she took a sip of her coffee.

Julian took over the conversation since he knew how nervous Brooke was. "One day, my dad picked me up after school and Victoria saw him across the way. You could say it was love at first sight. They got married soon after and then they later had our half-sister Sam."

Brooke was relieved he didn't mention they got married at the courthouse. Since it was their second marriage, neither of them wanted a big wedding. So they got married at the courthouse with just their children and Sylvia as witnesses.

Haley smiled. "That's so sweet," she said. "And they are still married all this time?"

Julian nodded. "Yeah. They are still together, trying to deal with a rebellious teenager now." There was an awkward silence before Julian spoke again. "We know you didn't come here for a friendly chat, but I still want everyone to treat each other with respect. You're still guests in my house. If it gets too far, I have no problem throwing you out."

Lucas didn't know whether it was the presence of Haley or the exhaustion of waiting wore him out, but he answered in a calm voice. "Just tell me why you won't sign the annulment papers."

Brooke glanced over at Julian.

Julian nodded as he squeezed her hand for support.

Lucas noticed the exchange between the two, and he started to get suspicious. He began to realize whatever news she had been hiding from him would change everything.

Brooke turned back to Lucas. There was hesitation before she finally spoke. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Because I thought you would want to know about your son."

Lucas's eyes went wide. "My son?"

That was the last thing he thought he would hear.

Haley gasped in shock. "Oh my god!"

Lucas started to experience déjà vu. He didn't even register what Brooke was trying to say when he interrupted her. He shot up from the sofa and adamantly shook his head. "No, this has to be a mistake. I can't be a father!"

Lucas was still adjusting to the news as both Haley and Julian got up from their spots on the sofas. Haley tried to calm him down.

How could he calm down when he just found out he was a father?

Brooke did her best to hold back tears. "I'm sorry you had to find out about it like this," she said, nearly choking up. "I tried to contact you when I first found out about it, but I never heard back from you. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

"You can bet I'm going to order a paternity test because that kid isn't mine," Lucas demanded before he marched towards the door. "Come on, Hales."

However, Haley stayed where she was.

Lucas looked back at her surprised. "Are you coming?"

Haley let out a heavy sigh. "Luke, you can't run away from this."

Lucas frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Haley turned to their hosts. "Do you mind if you give us a few minutes?"

Julian nodded. He had his arm around Brooke, trying to comfort her. "Yeah, we'll be in my bedroom if you need us." He gently led Brooke towards his bedroom.

Haley waited until they were gone before she glared at Lucas. "Look, I know you're pissed off at Brooke. But it's time you start taking responsibility for your actions. Ever since we arrived here, I have heard you blame Brooke and Lindsey for that night in Las Vegas. But I never heard you admit blame."

Lucas didn't answer, not wanting to admit she was right. Haley knew the pain Dan had caused him over the years and she was always there to remind him when he started acting like him. Just like now.

He had done everything but admit he was in the wrong. Just like his father had done. That's the last person he wanted to be.

Dan Scott.

The man who abandoned his first family for another woman, who ended up having his second son.

Lucas groaned in frustration at that realization. "How the hell did I turn into Dan?"

Haley gave him a sympathetic look. "It wouldn't be the first time, but you can still turn it around."

"I don't know how I am going to do that," Lucas sighed. "First I found out I was already married to another woman, and now there's a strong possibility I'm the father to her kid." He repeated the words, still trying to process it. "A father. What am I supposed to do with that information?"

"What would you have done if you found about her pregnancy right away?" Haley asked.

Lucas didn't even hesitate before he answered. "I would have been there for her and the baby. Because I wouldn't have wanted the baby to grow up without a father. I was lucky because I had Keith. He really stepped up after Dan left us. I know we don't know if this kid is mine, but I don't want him to think I abandoned him for Peyton." His eyes went wide again. "Oh god! How the hell am I going to tell Peyton about this?"

"Why don't we get a paternity test first?" Haley asked. "Then we'll figure out what you're going to tell Peyton."

Lucas just nodded as Haley went to go and get their hosts. He really didn't know how much more news he could take.

He heard footsteps and he turned to see Brooke. He saw that her eyes were red from crying, and he felt a little guilty.

Lucas spoke first. His voice was calmer than it was earlier. "Look, I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I just wasn't expecting to find out that I wasn't only married, but I have a son. Are you sure he's mine?"

It wasn't if he didn't believe Brooke. He just was still in shock that he had a kid.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, he's yours."

Lucas wasn't sure how much information he wanted to know about him just yet. However, he was still curious about this kid. "What's his name?"

Brooke was surprised to hear him ask the question. "His name is Ethan, after the doctor who delivered him."

Lucas managed a smile. "That's a nice name." There was a short pause. "Look, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you or for Ethan, but I really had no idea you even tried to contact me. I have a personal assistant who handles all of my mail, so she must have thrown it out or something. If you know me, I would never want to abandon my kid. I have gone through that before, and I don't want to repeat history."

"I know, and I'm sorry I never followed up on it," Brooke said. "But after I didn't hear anything from you, I thought it would be best just to raise him by myself. And I think I have done a pretty good job, despite my mother's interference."

Lucas remembered Brooke telling him about her mother. "Oh, that's right. You didn't have the greatest relationship with your mom."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, she is still trying to run my life."

Lucas realized they should get back to the original subject. "Look, I appreciate you wanting to be truthful with me about Ethan. But you're going to have to give me some time to process all of this. It's a lot to take in."

"I understand," Brooke said.

Lucas wasn't exactly sure what to do and looked to Brooke for guidance. "I'm sure you know I will want get a paternity test to prove I am the father. If the results turn out to be true, what exactly is the next step? Because I realized I can't walk away from this. You can't tell me about my son and then expect me not to want to have some sort of relationship with him, even if it is four years late."

He paused for a moment as he came to a realization. "Wait, how old is Ethan?"

"He's three-and-a-half. He's going to turn four in December," Brooke said, frowning. "Why do you ask?"

Three-and-a-half years old.

His birthday was in December.

The same month he had met Peyton. How ironic was that?

"It's nothing," Lucas said, giving a shrug. It wasn't really important. "But I need you to answer my question. What is the next step?"

Lucas wanted Brooke to take charge since Ethan was really her son.

Brooke was quiet for a moment. She certainly didn't think about this far in the conversation with Lucas. In fact, she didn't know what she wanted to do after telling him about Ethan.

"If you're serious about getting to know Ethan, I need to know you're all in," she said. She clarified her expectations before Lucas could ask. "We barely know each other and Ethan doesn't know you. So we're going to have to take this relationship slow. Prove to me that my son can depend on you to show up and be there for him. Then we can talk about moving forward with some sort of custody arrangement."

Lucas nodded understandingly. That was all he wanted. A chance to get to know this boy. "You can count on me."

"I'll hold you to it," Brooke said as she picked up her glass of water and headed back into the kitchen.

Lucas followed her into the kitchen. "Look, I hate to bring this up again, but I really have to get back to New York. So if you can sign the papers and give me a copy of the marriage license, we will be on our way."

Brooke frowned. "Our marriage license? I don't have it."

Lucas gave her a confused look. "What do you mean you don't have it?" he asked, trying to keep his anger in check. He had been calm until this moment. "You must have it. Where else would it be? We can't have an annulment without proof of our marriage. And I can't get married to my fiancée without getting an annulment from you first."

Brooke wasn't surprised to hear he was getting married. She had a feeling that was the reason why he was pushing her to sign the annulment papers.

"I wish I could help you, but I really don't know where it is," Brooke said. "I don't even remember getting married that night."

Lucas groaned in frustration.

Julian and Haley emerged from the bedroom. They could feel the tension between Brooke and Lucas.

"What's going on?" Haley asked nervously.

"Neither of us knows where our marriage license is," Lucas told her, trying not to put the blame on just Brooke. However, the frustration was clear in his voice. "So I'm going to have to tell Peyton that we'll definitely have to postpone our wedding until this is straightened out." He let out a heavy sigh. "What else can go wrong?"