The doorbell rang at eight on the dot. Jamie ran down the stairs screaming, "He's here! He's here!"
Brooke smiled and followed him. The kid was acting like a tourist and was up before he needed to be, waiting to explore. She allowed Jamie to open the door, standing guard behind him and saw Lucas emerge with bags of food in his hand. He bent down to greet Jamie as Brooke took the bags from his hand and placed them at the table. She considered offering Lucas money for the food but chose against it as she did not want to start the day with Lucas in a sour mood. She already had 3 place settings out and ready for them.
Lucas picked his kid up and hugged him tight. "Hi Jamie, did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I did!" he replied. "Can we go now? I got my basketball!" He pointed to the tiny orange ball in his hand that Lucas remembered seeing in their apartment in New York.
At that moment, Lucas noticed something that surprised him. Jamie was in a jersey - a Tree Hill Ravens Jersey! "Whoa, where did you get that and since when do they make it in that size?" he asked, looking at it from every angle, admiring the work, the fit, everything. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he remembered the days when he donned that jersey and dated cheerleaders.
Brooke smiled at that, "I made it for him a long time ago, using one of my old cheerleading uniforms. He loves it. Jamie did not know your name or anything about you except for two thighs. One that his father loved him very very much and would never stop loving him and two that his father was a player on this team, the best player, don't tell Nate I said that. This jersey is his most prized possession."
"You look very handsome in it Jamie. Who knows, when you grow up, you can become a Tree Hill Raven yourself!" Lucas said before walking to the table to eat breakfast.
"So what are we doing today after the River Court?" Jamie asked as he ate his pancakes.
"After the River court, would you like to come to my house? See where I live?" Lucas asked Jamie whose face lit up. "You and your mom can hang out there and I will go pick up a very special person from the airport."
"Who is that?" Jamie asked.
"It's my mother. Your Grandma. Her name is Karen," Lucas said to him and saw Jamie's face flush with surprise.
"I have a Grandma?" he asked, surprised to learn that he had such a large family. "How many relatives do we have?"
Brooke and Lucas laughed. They could see that their son was getting overwhelmed. The world was so much larger than he knew. There was so much history yet untold. It was time though to share some of the pieces with him.
"Yes you have Grandma Karen and I also have a sister who would be your Aunt, Aunt Lilly but she is only a year older than you so maybe you can call her your cousin," Lucas replied, scratching his head at the weird dynamics of his family.
"Where is she?" Lucas asked.
"They don't live here. She lives with her husband, Any in New Zealand," Lucas explained.
"Wait, I have a Grandpa too? Is Andy my Grandpa?" Jamie asked.
"Uhh, it's complicated. Andy isn't my dad, so he isn't technically your Grandpa but I am sure that he won't mind it in the least. He is your family too, for sure," Lucas explained.
"Then where is my real Grandpa?" Jamie asked innocently.
Lucas' expressions changed in an instant as if a dark cloud had passed and cast its shadow upon his face. "I'm sorry but your Grandpa went to heaven a few years ago. His name was Keith and he was incredible. I am sure that he is taking care of you and I from up there and he loves you."
Brooke felt a pang of empathy for Lucas when she heard him say that. It was so hard for him after he lost Keith. She wished that he was still around for Lucas, heck even for her. Keith was a great man and she adored him to bits.
"Is Dan still in…" she whispered to him, silently edging towards the question on her lips, not wanting to continue for Jamie's sake, knowing that Lucas would understand.
"Yes," he whispered back. Brooke nodded her head with understanding, knowing that a topic change was required.
"Mom, what about your parents?" Jamie asked.
"No, I don't have parents, Jamie. I am sorry," she replied all too quickly to end the discussion. "Who's ready to leave?"
Everyone agreed and soon enough they were back in Lucas' car heading down familiar roads for Brooke and completely new ones for Jamie.
"Tree Hill hasn't changed at all, has it?" Brooke asked, finding nothing new.
"I mean a few stores have opened and closed, but no not much. The record store Peyton used to frequent now sells make-up and Thud Magazine has become a Starbucks, but no, most of the spots are still intact," he explained.
"Karen's Cafe is gone…." Brooke said suddenly.
"Yeah, people came there to eat mom's recipes and since she was not going to be here to make it, Deb and her decided to close down the business. Mom kept the property though just in case one of us wanted to start a new venture, we would have it. I'm glad she did!" Lucas said, making Brooke uncomfortable.
Soon, Lucas stopped his car by the River Court, the place he truly called his home. "Whoa," Jamie said, watching the river with fascination. He looked around and began to walk towards the river.
"Wait, be careful," Brooke screamed as she ran behind him. She took him around the park for a lap before returning to the basketball court.
"It's so high, I don't think I'll be able to shoot that far," Jamie said, feeling sad.
"Let's see if we can do something about that," Lucas said and lifted the toddler up on his shoulders.
"Whoa!" he giggled as he looked down from his height.
"Here you go," Lucas said, handing him his little orange ball and standing in front of the hoop. Jamie angled his hand and let the ball go with one swift swish. It went straight through the net. The family of three cheered as Jamie made the shot. "Do you want to play a round of Horse against your mother?"
"Two star athletes against me! That is not fair," Brooke said with mock disdain.
"Don't worry, mom. We'll go easy on you!" Jamie said and began laughing uncontrollably as Lucas tried to balance him on his shoulders.
Brooke smiled and they began a match. The boys won easily although it was harder for the adults to play with a ball that tiny. Lucas would steal the ball from Brooke while she dribbled and hand it to Jamie once he was close to the hoop so that he could make the shot.
"This was the best game ever!" whooped Jamie when Brooke lost and got the final E. "I love Tree Hill, both my parents play with me here and mom is home instead of work."
Brooke's breath hitched when he said that. She felt a little guilty that he barely got to see her as she was always working and never around. "I am so sorry for that, buddy. You know I love you, right?"
"Yeah. I do. I only meant that this is way better and I am happy that you don't have to work so much and you're eating better too! I don't like your workplace. If Sammy were here with us, it would be perfect!" Jamie explained.
Brooke was taken aback. How much was her two-year-old noticing and understanding? Her face turned grim like she had been caught in a difficult position by her parents and did not know how to twist it in her favour.
"Should we head back? I need to get to the Airport," Lucas suggested, reading Brooke's expressions. She nodded her head stiffly and walked ahead, letting Lucas buckle him in. They drove quickly to Lucas' house and Brooke was transported back to four years ago. Nothing had changed. She walked into the familiar blue room and took in the homely kitchen as memories of scrapbooking with Karen resurfaced.
"I'm guessing you know your way around," Lucas asked her, once they were inside.
"Yeah, we'll be fine. You can go," Brooke replied. Lucas greeted Jamie and took off.
"This is where dad lives?" Jamie asked, as he continued exploring.
"Mm hmm," Brooke replied. "Did you know that I lived in this room too once?"
"What? You lived with daddy?" Jamie asked.
"No, you silly goof. I lived here with Daddy's mother - your Grandma Karen. Your dad was living with someone else at that time."
"Dad wasn't living with his mom?!" Jamie asked nervously.
"Only for a little bit. It was his choice. He wanted to get to know this other person so he decided to live with him for a little while," Brooke explained.
"Who was he?" he asked inquisitively.
"He isn't important, Jaim. Anyway, when I lived here, I was very naughty. I used to drive your Grandma Karen wild!" Brooke changed tracks.
"Like Sam drives you crazy?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah, exactly that way. Promise me that when you grow up, you won't drive me crazy!" she laughed.
Jamie giggled but held out his pinky to pinky swear. Brooke liked her pinky with his and beamed. "You're the best boy in the world, Jimmy Jam and I love you so very much!"
"I love you so very much too, mama," he said and hugged her tight.
"So what did you do to drive Grandma mad? How is she?" Jamie asked.
"Oh she is the sweetest. She is very kind and she makes the most delicious food!" Brooke told him.
"Is Aunt Lilly going to come with her too?" He continued to interrogate her.
"No, I don't think so. But I think you should stick to calling her Lilly. I have only seen her once in my life when she was born at the hospital," Brooke said more to herself than Jamie. She looked at the frame on Lucas' nightstand. It was a picture of Karen on a boat with a four year old. She had long straight brown hair like both her parents. She was wearing jeans and a pink sweater. Karen's arms were wrapped around her while both of them smiled at the camera. Karen looked happy. It was good to see her that way as compared to the last time she saw her, dealing with the loss of Keith and the revelation that it was Dan who had been responsible for his death. Almost losing Lilly as Lucas threatened Dan with Deb's gun. She was glad Karen got to get out of there and have a fresh start with a solid family foundation to build on. Tree Hill was home, yes, but it was also a lot of Trauma.
Brooke and Jamie played hide and seek in Lucas' house until he got tired. He had woken up very early, so he drifted off to sleep soon. She considered waking him for lunch but thought that it would be better if she waited for Lucas and Karen. Once Jamie was down in Lucas' bedroom, she went to the kitchen and peered into the fridge to see what she had to work with. Choosing simple beans and rice, she began to cook the quick meal. As she cleaned the kitchen, she heard the house doors open and close.
"Wow, I can't believe that I am back. Now what was it that you needed to tell me that you couldn't on the phone?" Karen asked as she placed her bags by the door.
Brooke stiffened when she saw her from the kitchen. She was scared, a part of her wanted to run away. Karen began walking to the living room but saw a shadow in the kitchen. So she stopped and headed that way. Brooke was still standing there, paralysed.
"Brooke! Hi!" Karen greeted, happy to see her familiar face.
"Hi Karen," she smiled and said weakly.
"I haven't heard your name from Lucas' mouth in so long. Where have you been? How come you're here? Wait a minute, am I here because you and Brooke…" she asked, trying to piece together her son's cryptic behaviour.
"No! No!" Brooke said quickly.
"Mom, let's sit and talk. What I needed you here for does involve Brooke but not in the way you think," Lucas explained.
They went to the living room and sat down. Karan looked at them worriedly. Lucas and Brooke looked at each other, trying to get the other to let the cat out of the bag.
"Where is he?" Lucas whispered to Brooke so softly that only Brooke could hear her as she sat beside him.
"In your bedroom, sleeping," she whispered back.
Lucas nodded and turned his head back towards Karen who was looking at both of them restlessly. She raised her eyebrows at them and Lucas took in a deep breath and exhaled.
"So as you know, after Peyton said no to me, I got the call for my book and flew to New York. When I was there, I ran into Brooke and learned something quite big. Brooke was there with a baby - my baby," Lucas said slowly.
Horror. Shock. Hurt. Loss. Those were the emotions that flitted across the young grandmother's face.
"What? Your baby? You have a baby with Brooke?" she asked, willing it to all be untrue.
"Yes," he replied, so softly as if he wanted it to be untrue as well, just for his mother's sake.
"And she didn't tell you?" Karen screamed. She was pretending like Brooke wasn't in the room. Brooke inhaled a sharp breath, feeling like a dagger had sucker punched her in her gut.
"His name is Jamie. He will be three years old soon," Lucas said instead, ignoring his mother's harsh questioning.
Karen did not take in the information that Lucas was presenting her with. She looked at Brooke instead, a single tear made its way down her cheek. "Why didn't you tell him?"
"I'm sorry," Brooke whispered, her own eyes turning red as she squirmed under her gaze.
"Brooke, why! How could both of you have been so stupid? You had that pregnancy scare once! Why did you two not learn anything from it?" she continued screaming.
"Mama!" Jamie wailed and ran towards her to hug her. He had woken up due to the screaming and was scared of Karen. Brooke's eyes widened and she took Jamie in her arms who curled into a ball in her lap, snuggling into her chest.
Karen was instantly transfixed when she saw the kid in her arms. He looked exactly like Lucas. It was like she was transported back to when he was that age and somehow the wheels in her head shifted gears, watching the young brunette look at her with a guilt-stricken expression on her face.
"Oh you poor sweet girl. How scary must it have been for you. Doing it all alone. I know the feeling and I had Keith by my side every single day. You did it all alone in an unfamiliar place. God Brooke, I truly admire your strength," she said, surprising herself and everyone sitting around her. Her hand instantly moved to her lips to silence herself but the words had sprung out of her mouth before she had a chance to correct herself.
"I am fine. It was fine," Brooke said. "I'm so sorry, Karen, to have kept this from you. I-I know- there are no words or gestures to make up for what I did but I'm sorry. I really hope you can forgive me someday." She couldn't meet the pseudo mother's gaze as she looked at the floor and nowhere else.
"Brooke! No, there is nothing to forgive. I am so sorry that I lashed out. Looking at him and you, I remember when I was in the same spot that you were in. I remember how difficult and scary and confusing it all was. I wish we could have been there for you. Lucas and I would have been there for you," she apologised and chastised simultaneously.
"That is not your fault. I kept him from both of you. I made those decisions. I'm so sorry," Brooke said, her voice was barely a whisper.
Karen stared at her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She just kept her in a hug, while Jamie got squished in the embrace. Lucas picked him up from Brooke's lap and let the two women have a moment. Karen did not let go of Brooke. She tried to shimmy out of the embrace but Karen has a firm grip. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Brooke began chanting and Karen stroked her hair. Wild tears suddenly streamed from her eyes and she let go for the first time. She finally broke down and burst out crying vehemently. Finally, there was a parent. An adult to carry her burden for her. She shifted and unloaded herself, her worries and woes, crying in her arms for a solid 5 minutes.
Karen consoled the broken young adult. She felt her heart constrict as she wiped Brooke's tears. She felt sad seeing the broken girl. "I'm so sorry Karen. I didn't want to disappoint you. I had to do some pretty awful things in New York. I'm a disappointment and a failure. You're right to hate me.
"You know I called you after Jamie was born. I was so scared. I needed a mom so bad at that moment so I called you. You hadn't gone to New Zealand yet, I guess, because you did answer me. Yet, I was unable to say a word. I couldn't, so I cut the call."
"What!" she shrieked, not remembering the call at all. How would she even? It was most likely somebody dialling an incorrect number or a prank call. "Oh my baby. I'm so sorry."
"No. I'm fine. It turned out okay. It's all okay, I'm fine now," Brooke repeated, more for herself.
"Your name is Jamie, right? Hi, I'm Karen, your Grandmother," she said sweetly, turning towards Jamie who was looking visibly upset on his father's lap.
"No!" she shrieked angrily, surprising the extremely young grandmother. How had she become a grandmother before turning 35!
"What's wrong, Jamie?" Lucas asked. Jamie was pretty friendly. In all the time that he had spent with him, he never seemed to be one to throw a fit.
"I don't like you! You made mommy cry!" he said, tears streaming down his own eyes in deep empathy. "Both of you said that she was nice!"
"Buddy, she is nice. This was just one of those times. It's like when you disobey the rules, I get angry at you, don't I?" Brooke explained to the toddler. Jamie nodded his head. "But do I ever stop loving you, ever, even for a moment?" she continued. Jamie shook his head no fervently. "It's exactly like that. I broke a pretty big rule, so Grandma Karen got very mad at me but, what do I always tell you? Only people who care about you..."
"Care enough to tell you when you mess up and they do it angrily sometimes, like when Miss Margaret scolds me when I don't put the books back on the shelf," Jamie finished for her.
"Exactly!" Brooke smiled, pleased with Jamie's understandingness. "Now do you want to greet your Grandma properly?"
Jamie looked at his mother once more and then looked directly at his grandma, "Hi!" he greeted her. Simple, yet so fulfilling.
"Hi!" Karen greeted back, feeling a deep surge of love engulf her.
"Uh, I made lunch," Brooke gently put it out for the others. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their stomachs. They went to the table and had their meal.
"You need to tell me everything, Brooke. I hope you know that. At your time and pace, but you need to," Karen reproached.
Brooke nodded her head, "None of it paints me in a pretty light."
"Tonight, after Jamie sleeps, we're talking," she ordered, leaving no room for Brooke to protest. "I'd love to spend some time with Jamie before that!"
After Lunch, Jamie and Karen decided to play a board game that was lying around the house from the last time Karen and Lilly had visited Tree Hill. Brooke and Lucas were in the kitchen, washing the utensils. "Brooke, just tell her what you feel comfortable sharing, okay. I'll keep your secret if that's what you want. We'll also talk to her about Sam then. Tomorrow, we can go to the social worker's office and start the procedure."
"Good, then I can return to New York to Sam!" she said happily.
Lucas felt a pang of hurt hearing that but was it because she preferred being there or was it because she preferred not being here, with him? It was a thin line and Lucas did not want to question anything.
Once the kitchen was immaculate, the young parents joined Jamie and Karen in their game. They had a lazy day around the house. Karen described New Zealand to Jamie, telling him about how they could climb up a volcano and how there was nothing scary about it because it had been dormant for years.
"Can we go visit New Zealand, mama? I want to climb up the volcano and see Grandma's garden and meet Lilly!" Jamie requested.
Brooke remained silent for a moment. New Zealand was literally on the opposite pole of the world. "When you're older, okay?" she settled on saying instead.
Jamie grumbled but did not argue.
"You've a great mom, Brooke," Karen said to the girl whom she had had the luxury to raise for a little while. She had to admit that the first time when Lucas and Brooke had had the pregnancy scare, she did not think that Brooke would be a good mom. She had only seen the party girl who had suddenly formed an infatuation for her son after he joined the varsity basketball team.
Then Brooke had come to live with her. She didn't want to at first. She wanted her own son to be there with her under her roof. The young brunette was bad news. She had taken her son's virginity, made him get a tattoo and what else, only the Lord knew! But, Lucas was not ready to let her go and for him, she acquiesced.
When Brooke began to stay with them, the initial days were hell! She did not know what chores were, she had a complete disregard for discipline and the words curfew and checking in did not form a part of her dictionary! Slowly she learnt that it was not Brooke's fault, it was her upbringing. So, Karen had laid down the law for her, grounding her for her mess ups. She expected retaliation from Brooke's end. Instead, she received a hug from the girl who told her that it was like having a real mom for the first time. Karen had felt flabbergasted hearing her say that but spending that time getting to know Brooke, she quickly learnt about the big heart she carried on her sleeve.
Karen cooked dinner for them later in the evening and Jamie spoke to Sam, showing her around Lucas' house. Sam looked sad, she was missing Brooke and Jamie way too much. She couldn't wait to be with them, home, safe, theirs forever. Why couldn't God give her her perfect family?
"How much longer is it going to take out there?" she tried to ask extremely casually.
"We'll meet Lorelai tomorrow and then I will come back. When she schedules a visit, I'll fly back and then we move down here," Brooke said like it was nothing but they both knew that it was a long painful process where they would try to find every mistake to discredit them. Adoption would obviously be harder and longer as it was forever. However, foster care was equally intensive as the government paid you to look after the kids. "I'm going to be home very soon, okay? Take care of yourself until then."
"You seem to have more colour on your cheeks and a little more life. Is Brooke Davis eating and sleeping like a normal human being?" Sam mocked her.
"Oh, you have no idea. If I continue this way, I'm going to return to my pregnancy weight!" Brooke joked.
"That wasn't all that much either! Keep letting them do what they're doing! I like seeing you this way," Sam smiled.
"I wish Karen sticks around for a bit and gets to meet you. You haven't lived until you've eaten her cooking!" Brook replied, sniffing the air and smiling to herself. "Liz's parents taking care of you?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam replied.
Lucas peeped into the room at that moment, "B, dinner's ready. Hey Sam, how are you doing out there? We miss you here."
"Oh, Hi Lucas. I'm good," she replied awkwardly. "How is it having your mom around?"
"That is always good. I miss her sometimes," he replied, walking in to see her on the video call. "Jamie has been missing you alot."
"Yeah, he told me that he loves having his mom and dad around but Grandma Karen can be a little scary sometimes," she teased him.
"Well, you have to give the lady some credit. She just found out that she was already a grandma at 36!" Lucas joked, making Sam cackle.
"You two head for dinner, I'll talk to you later. Bye Brooke… and Lucas," she added shyly later on.
Once her phone screen turned black, Brooke looked at Lucas and chuckled, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say my teenage daughter was infatuated by you."
"I'm just the guy who is helping the girl who saved her life. Now come on before my mother comes to pull us to the table by our ears!"
"Hey Luke," she called him as he turned to step out of the door. Lucas stopped his gait and turned around to look at her. "Thank you. For helping us. I really do appreciate all of it even though I might behave irrationally at times."
"Try all the time," he joked, not wanting her to feel indebted to him.
They walked out and ate dinner. Jamie requested a game of tag with his father and grandma post dinner and the three excitedly ran around the house. He could never play tag in their apartment properly. It was too small and crammed to allow it. Now he had the space and the luxury to be a kid.
Lucas read him his bedtime story, nailing the voices. Jamie was so proud of him. It was a sight to see, both the boys grinning ear to ear, a replica of each other. Jamie was enjoying himself so much, especially at the shrill voice Lucas tried to make to sound like a duck and the heavy grumpy voice which was the elephant. The bird and a sweet feminine voice and that was Jamie's favourite because of how ridiculous Lucas sounded and the hilarious expressions on his face.
Brooke stood by Lucas' bedroom door where she was temporarily putting Jamie to bed and she was soaking it all in. She knew that she needed to talk to Karen. So, she would carry Jamie back to her house just like she did on the nights she had to take him to the club. She loved seeing him with his dad. She always knew that Lucas would be a great father and here he was proving it.
"It really is something, watching my baby this way. I never imagined it, Lucas with a son of his own," Karen said from behind Brooke's shoulder, startling her momentarily.
"Yeah, he is great and Jamie adores him. It's good to see Jamie this happy. He deserves this joy," Brooke said to her, knowing in the deep trenches of her heart that it was a good thing that Lucas had found them.
"Did you expect it to go any other way because I know my son, Brooke. I know that he would have stepped up and risen to the occasion. I know the boy that I raised," Karen asked.
"No, I was afraid of him stepping up and dropping everything else for us. Everything good that he had going. I loved your son, Karen. Deeply and totally. I was willing to change myself for him. I - I really did love him and he broke my heart twice to be with Peyton. I was eighteen, Karen. I was so scared. I was scared of trapping him. I was scared that he would drop everything to be with me and Jamie and then he would go behind my back and cheat on me with her again. I only had Jamie. I had no family, nobody else. I did not want to split time with him. I did not want to go through custody battles and agreements. I just wanted a real family so bad!" she replied. "I mean you should get that. You should get me more than anybody else. Dan left you for college and moved on with Deb and I've never heard Lucas speak about his grandparents so I am assuming your parents were incorrigible."
"Yeah, you're not wrong. I do understand that feeling. I understand it all. I remember how scared I was on the day I opened the cafe. I was balancing a coffee pot in one hand and Lucas in the other, perched on my hip," she said, going back to the early years. The memory was still fresh in her mind.
They could no longer hear Lucas' voice so they looked inside the doorway and saw that Jamie had gone to bed. Brooke left the door slightly ajar as she kept a lamp on for Jamie and the three went back to the living room. Lucas knew just how heavy the ensuing conversation was going to be so he opened a bottle of wine and poured 3 glasses.
The three sat and Brooke narrated everything - finding out she was pregnant, how her mother fired her from her own Company and threw her to the streets, how she lived in a homeless shelter owning nothing, having no money, how she became a waitress, the haemorrhaging and eclampsia during her delivery, the debt she was still trying to pay off - then she paused and wondered whether she should tell Karen the whole truth, the job she took to pay those bills. 'No,' Brooke thought to herself. 'Karen would never understand. She would never forgive her. She couldn't burden her with that shame.'
Instead, Brooke started telling her about Sam, weaving the same story that she had fed the social worker about meeting Sam at Fiona's cafe. Karen was surprised to say the least. She couldn't believe that Brooke, who was struggling so much, was taking care of another as well. They told her about the fake engagement and how they needed her help to corroborate and get Sam to Tree Hill, to allow Brooke to adopt her, to help Sam finally get a real family, her family. The things she did, the way Lucas found her. All three of them gulped their wine, finding the story too grim to fathom without some liquid assistance.
"So that's why you asked me if somebody could borrow the ring! You really sounded strange that day and I believed it was because of what went down with Peyton." Karen said, all the puzzle pieces finally fitting in her head.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men," Lucas replied with a smirk.
"Brooke, you have the biggest heart of anybody that I know. Your generosity and capacity to care is incredulous. Of course, I will help both of you. Whatever you need to get her here," she replied, in awe of the young woman who sat in front of her.
"Thank you so much, maa! We'll call Lorelai and go to her office tomorrow to file the paperwork. Will you babysit Jamie for us?" Lucas asked.
"Of course! He reminds me so much of you, Lucas," she answered, beaming and delighted.
"It's getting late. Jamie and I should get going," Brooke said, picking up the glasses on the table and taking them to the kitchen to rinse.
"Wait, how will you go? Let me drive both of you," Lucas said, following her to the kitchen.
"Oh God, I forgot that this isn't New York where everyone uses public transportation. A taxi this late will cost a fortune," she said more to herself.
"Let me drive you," Lucas repeated himself.
"Nobody is driving. We all had wine," Karen shushed them both.
"Uhh, does D-W-not-I still run?" Brooke asked, trying to figure out her ride.
"Yes, but not on school nights," Lucas answered.
"Brooke, just stay here for the night. Jamie is already asleep. It will be more comfortable for him as well," Karen answered. Lucas had told Karen during lunch about how Andy had helped him buy back Brooke's house and Karen was nothing but proud of him for his gesture. She even called Andy and thanked him while chiding him good-naturedly for keeping it from her.
"Yeah, you can take my bed and sleep with him. I'll crash on the couch. It will be like the time that you lived with us," Lucas laughed.
Brooke really didn't like the idea but what choice did she have? She agreed to their offer, much to her chagrin.
Karen was extremely jet lagged and tired. It was the surprises of the day that did not have her fighting sleep. She went to her old room and slept. Brooke and Lucas stood there awkwardly after she left.
"Umm, do you need anything for the night?" he asked her.
"Could I borrow a t-shirt and some sweats?" she asked.
Lucas nodded his head and tip toed inside his bedroom. He pulled out two pairs of sweats and handed one to Brooke. She thanked him and went to the bathroom to change. When she changed, she saw that she was floating in his top. The neck hung low for her such that her bra could be seen.
'Much more than what he has seen recently,' she said to herself before pulling the tee from the back so it would slide up. She knotted the corner so it neck would get secured and put on his baggy sweats. They were not helping. She pulled the string tight but they still hung too loose, threatening to fall. She sighed, it would just have to do. She considered unknotting the top, it was large enough to form a dress and cover her panties, but she did not want to walk that way in front of him or Karen.
She washed her face and emerged from the bathroom. Lucas saw her and began to laugh. "You look ridiculous in those pants. They are about to fall off! How have I never noticed how large my clothes were on you?" Lucas asked, just noticing just how short and petite Brooke really was.
"Maybe because you preferred having me naked at all times!" Brooke rolled her eyes.
"That is true," he laughed.
"Anyway, I'm going to bed. I hope the couch isn't too bad on your back," she said, not wanting to discuss what they were discussing anymore.
Brooke saw him step into the bathroom to get ready for the night and walked into his room. The pants really weren't staying. Once she got inside, she pulled them off and undid the knot, letting the soft t-shirt fabric pool down her slender legs. She grabbed the shirt and brought it to her nose, inhaling the scent deeply. It had the same scent that she remembered from all those years ago, Aftershave mixed with a breezy ocean deodorant and detergent - her favourite scent.
"I really don't like the game we are playing, Lucas Scott, because in the end, whichever way it goes for my family, I will still always lose."