Summary: Typical high school story of good girl falls for bad boy. Something happens bringing distance between the two. Six years later, a tragedy brings them both back. Is it enough for them to love again?

Disclaimer: I don't own shit. I'm a broke grad student who would not be broke if I owned One Tree Hill. Title is from the amazing song Bring You Back by Brett Eldredge.

So here is my new story, and yes I know the summary sucks but I couldn't sum it up any better. This chapter is set now and all the rest will be in the past leading up to this. Enjoy it please!

I'll Bring You Back

Prelude

We can all be scared to death
Never certain of what it is we want
All the fears we should confess
Holding our breath just dying to speak up

"Yes, mother I understand there is a meeting at that time but you don't get it. I am busy at that time every week." Brooke's voice grew louder as she yelled at her mother behind the locked door and windows of her high-rise office.

"Brooke if this is about that boy again." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Darling, it's time to get on with your life and move forward. A lot has changed in the past five years."

"But he's still mine, mother." Brooke hissed, "If I wanted to talk to him, like I do every week, then I sure as hell will. You can go to that damn fucking meeting without me because I have more important things than that."

"You left that life behind, Brooke. Time to get over your past and move forward. This business will not improve unless you forget about those low lives in that horrible town."

"They're not low lives, they're my friends."

"Well I don't recall seeing them there when you needed them. Stop giving them the time they want."

"You're impossible mother! I'm the boss, not you. I say change that damn meeting time then change it. It is important to me. I have something to do at the time." Brooke was adamant about this and there was no way to change her mind. "I have too."

Brooke took the pause in the conversation to look at her wrist. Two things on there triggered her mind back five years ago. A tattoo of a rubber ducky with the initials MDS in perfect cursive writing with the date May 15th, 2010 underneath it. Also she wore a bracelet at all times that had a yellow and blue ribbon charm and a rubber duck. It was her constant reminders.

"It's time to move on from him, Brooke. Darling, I know it's hard but it's life. You've made your choices and sometimes they're not for the best but you have to live with the consequences."

"I was doing what I thought was best." Brooke sighed. The constant reminder was hard enough for her to bear constantly. The pictures on her desk were the best reminder. A new picture once a month was placed on top of the previous one in the only frame on her desk.

When someone would question her on whom he was she'd just inform him or her that it was her nephew. No one had to know who he was. He was her secret.

That was her important meeting that she'd skip anything for. She was allowed one Skype session every week and nothing would make her skip that meeting.

"Brooke, I hate how you are after the sessions. I'm only trying to do what is best for you." Victoria pulled up a chair to the desk. "These meeting ruin you afterwards."

"But it's the only way." Brooke had the latest picture in her hands, a school photo. Her quirky smile and squinting eyes made her fall in love with him over and over and over again. He melts her heart constantly. "She won't bring him up here anymore and I can't go down there as much as I wish."

Last time he came to visit in the city, the biggest meltdown occurred. Brooke couldn't handle it and had her own melt down. Her ducky wasn't good with changes and Brooke wasn't going to push it.

"I know, I know." Victoria sighed looking at the picture.

"I miss him, Mom." Brooke had a full on melt down. Emotions she kept so deep inside exploded and she melted in her mother's arms. "It isn't fair anymore."

"It will get better, Brooke. I promise." Victoria didn't know what to do so she just held her daughter. "You have time soon, go down then."

"I may, if she allows it." Brooke nodded, "I look like a mess."

"You my dear, need to clean up. Tears are for the pillow. Now get ready for your session and I'll tell everyone you're not feeling too well."

"Thanks." Brooke faked a smile pulling out her mirror from her desk. She quickly cleaned herself off with a minute to spear before her session will begin. "You can do this, Brooke. You got this. Now I sit and wait."

She sat and waited, and waited and waited but nothing ever came. No notification, no text message or phone call informing something happened. Nothing at all to tell her what was going on.

She waited for thirty minutes sitting by her computer and checking her cell phone.

This was not like them at all. If Karen was ever late, she'd let Brooke know. Something happened. Brooke could feel it in her gut. Something was not right at all.

"Millie!" Brooke yelled for her assistant and one of her closest friends in the city the never sleeps.

"Everything okay Brooke?" Millie walked quickly into the office, almost out of breath from the sprinting she did.

"Have you heard from them today?" Brooke didn't want to name names. Everything about her past life was still a secret to the few individuals that deserved to know: her mom, her friends Millie and Alex and her boyfriend.

"There were no messages from them today. Why is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure. Probably they're just busy I guess." Brooke frowned. "That's probably all. I'm gonna head home for the night. If you hear from them, call me please?"

"Absolutely, Brooke." Millie smiled. "Have a good night."

Hugging her coat tighter to her body, Brooke made her way out to the chilly night of New York City. She loved the city; he hustle and bustle of the people walking past her, all with different stories and secrets, similar to her own or completely different, all just making their way home or work or even out.

It was amazing, completely different then where she grew up. The small town had nothing compared to the big city. She loved the city, but her home will always be in Tree Hill.

Walking the couple of blocks home, she entered the apartment building waving a quick hello to the doorman, Norm who has become almost grandfather-like to her and then she made her way up to the penthouse apartment over looking Manhattan.

Walking in she paused. The main reason she pout this apartment was for the proximity to Central Park, a place that her ducky would love, but it was also big enough for those cold nasty winter days her ducky can still have room to play.

The apartment was filled with pictures of ducky, of her friends- new and old, and of her family. Everything she loved was found in that apartment through photographs. Her favorite part was ducky's room. Stenciled across the bedroom wall was the name Mason David with trucks and super heroes covering every open space. It was how he left it and she wasn't changing it at all.

She quickly noticed multiple voicemails on her answering machine for her home phone. Thinking one was from the mother figure she grew to love in high school, she played them quickly.

The automatic voice played them all.

"Message one: Hello Cookie, it's your father. I'll be in the city next week and was wondering if you'd want to get lunch. I want to hear all about your business and sure do have some ideas to expand it. Love you darling."

"Delete." Brooke sighed not caring that much. She'll get back to him sometime soon.

"Message two: Hey Love, I'm going to stuck in Chicago a little longer then planned for. There's a horrible storm coming in and they canceled all flights so I'm stuck in the airport. I'll call you and let you know if I made a flight. Love you, Baby."

"Delete." Brooke repeated. She'll call Julian back eventually also. To her, their relationship wasn't serious. It was more for looks then anything else. Her mother pushed her to go out and date, find love again but Brooke didn't want that.

"Message three: Brooke... I hope I have the right number. Look it's Haley, something happened, something really bad. I think you need to come home. Call me please."

Haley? Haley James-Scott? That Haley? The one that she was super close to in high school but the minute she made her decision, no they made the decision, they all pushed her away. Brooke had to find out what happened.

She quickly hit redial and waited for Haley or someone to answer.

"Brooke? Is that you?" The voice asked nervously.

"Yeah, it's me. Did something happen to Mason? Are Karen, Lilly and him okay? We were supposed to Skype today but she never called."

"Something bad happened, Brooke. It's really bad. There was an accident, a car accident."

"Are they okay?"

"Just get home, Brooke. We need you home." Haley cried. "Karen, she didn't make it. Lilly and Mason weren't in the car with her. Lucas's isn't doing too well. None of us are. We need you, Mase and Luke need you back home."

"I'm coming home. I'll be on the next flight possible." Brooke wanted to break down and cry. "I'll let you know when I land."

"I'll have Nathan come and get you."

"You don't need to do that, Haley. I'll figure out a way."

"It's no problem. Just get home, now. We need you."

"I'm on my way." I hung up, threw a bunch of clothes into a bag not really sure what I packed and made my way out the door to get a taxi. "JFK Airport please."

Brooke was finally going home.

-XO-OTH-XO-

"Nathan you didn't need to do this. I would've figured out a way to get there." Brooke insisted she put everyone in trouble to pick her up at the airport thirty minutes away.

"Don't worry about it. Haley's trying her best to please everyone right now and this is one way of helping her." Nathan smiled placing the suitcase into the car.

"How is everyone?" Brooke nervously asked, playing with her hands as she waited for him to respond. "How's Mason?"

"Wondering where his Grammy is and why his daddy's sad. You know him and changes. This is messing with him greatly." Nathan replied casually. He didn't want to get involved in his brother and friend's mess. That was their mess, not his. "Luke's bad though. He won't let Lilly or Mason leave his side. When he found out, he got back from Savannah and locked them all in Karen's house. Haley's been trying all morning to get him out of her room."

"Can you take me there?" Brooke asked. "I want to see Mason."

"Yeah, I already knew. I warned Haley to tell Luke you were coming." Nathan frowned. "Be careful on him, Brooke. A lot has changed in the past five years."

"A lot has changed for me too, more than any of you know." Brooke warned looking out the window. Driving along, a path she remember greatly, multiple emotions rushed through her.

Her baby was breaking and for that, so was she.

For the next twenty minutes the pair drove in silence with Brooke trying to catch her thoughts and Nathan trying to stay out of the mess that is occurring. When he pulled up to the house, one that held memories for both of them, Nathan let out a sigh.

"Brooke, whatever you do, go easy on them? Okay?" Nathan warned. "Haley's in there to calm everything down. She'll take you to our place later. It's good to have you back, even if it's not for the best reasons."

"It's good to be back. Thanks again for the ride Nathan."

"Anytime to have you back in this town again, Davis." Nathan smirked driving away. He wanted to get away from the shit show that was about to go down the minute Brooke walked into that house.

"Mama it is you!" Mason opened the door, running the full speed his little legs would take him and jumped into Brooke's awaiting arms. "I missed you, Grammy says we were supposeds to talk today. But Grammy not here anymore, she gone to heaven."

"I missed you too Mason." Brooke smiled.

The moment she grasped on to Mason was the moment that brought back so many memories. It was like she held Mason for the first time and the doctor's informed her that he was different. The flat face structure and the eyes slanted upward were all signs that her baby was different, but to her he was perfect.

Down Syndrome did not define Mason at all. He was perfect in her eyes in each and every way.

After a small smile hello to Haley, Brooke sat just holding her little man who was not so little anymore. He was growing fast, growing really fast. It hit her how many memories she missed but she thought she was giving him a better life.

Lilly was sad, but in awe over Brooke. She asked her millions of questions about fashion, something Brooke was surprised a seven year old would ask.

Then a noise hit the four and the bedroom door squeaked open.

"Why the hell are you here?" Lucas hissed with disgust and displeasure. "You have no right to be here."

"Daddy, Mama's home!" Mason said excitedly. "Why you no happy?"

He didn't understand the emotions between the two. Mason has never spent time with both parents. It was always with his mother or with his father. Never both.

"Lil, Mase, come on. Why don't we go see if I can make something for dinner?" Haley ushered the kids out of the room before giving a stern warning to Lucas.

"You need to leave, you don't deserve to be here." He gritted his teeth in anger. "So get the hell out." He pointed towards the door.

Brooke took this opportunity to pause and examine him. A lot has changed in his appearance. Gone where the leather jacket, unshaven face and longish hair. He was clean cut now. "He's my son too you know. I have a right to be here. Karen might have been your mother, but she was like a mother to me. She was there for me when you weren't."

"You haven't been here in god knows how long. So no he does not need you here."

"You left too you know. " Brooke hissed right back. "If you left, why couldn't I? I did it on my own for nine months. I struggled and your mother was the only one to help me. Where were you, huh? You skipped town the moment you had a chance so don't you dare fucking tell me I don't have a right to see and comfort my own son."

"Both of you sit your asses down right now." Haley stormed into the room. "You both left, get over it. Karen died today. It's not the time to rip each other's mistakes apart. Mason's in there not realizing what the fuck just happened and why are both his parents finally here together. So I don't care if you both are upset with each other because right now it's not about that. It's about Karen and the kids. So get over it and move on already."

Both sat right down on the couch. Brooke's face was calm while Lucas's still held anger.

"How the fuck did you two get in this darn way in the first place? Six years ago you two would be all over each other. Figure this shit out cause now you two will be in charge of that boy. Both of you start acting like darn parents for once." Haley hissed in one breath. "God Damnit. There's a little boy in there that just lost the one person who cared for him and all you two are worried for is yourselves. Come on already just get over it. Whatever happened to you two in the first place? One minute you were in this together and the next you both were gone. Karen wouldn't want this. Mason wouldn't want this. Time to grow the fuck up already."

"Just because you left me alone doesn't mean I could handle it." Brooke whispered. "He was special needs, I couldn't do it on my own. You were doing god knows what and I broke down. Sorry to disappoint you but it wasn't all about you. I did what I did for Mason. Maybe one day you'll see that." Brooke stood and followed were Haley just exited from.

So I wasn't going to post a new story, but I need a distraction from class so decide to edit this little one up and finish chapter one. Next chapter we will be starting at the beginning. Enjoy- C.