Lucas Jr.

I'm Not Angry

Nathan walked outside to find his brother on the porch staring out at the setting sun. He approached him quietly and saw the older blonde was clearly deep in thought, brooding.

"It's a lot to take in." Nathan said standing beside Lucas. He mimicked his older brother's motions placing his hands on the railing and sighed.

Lucas gulped. "How old is he about? Fifteen or sixteen, right? He has to be. We had that- that scare years ago. I can't believe it wasn't a scare. I can't-" He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I can't believe she lied. I can't believe he found her- found us. I-I-"

"I can't even pretend to know what you're thinking, but I know you can't just leave. Brooke is in tears, and even if you're upset with her, your son is crying too. That should be enough of a reason to go back inside." He heard Lucas scoff. "I know that I have no idea what you are feeling. I was there for Jamie since day one, but that's the thing, I'm a father. Even if I don't know what it's like to miss out on sixteen years of a kids life or find out some random teenager is my son, I still have a son. I know what it's like to be a father. Your kid comes first."

Lucas took a deep breath. "I made him cry? He actually cried? Wh-Why?"

"You just left. You didn't say anything and you just walked away."

Lucas took another deep breath and turned around. "I just needed air. I wasn't going to leave. I can't. I'm not Dan and I never will be." He stated.

Nathan nodded. "I know, but your son doesn't. He doesn't even know who Dan is, and hopefully we can keep it that way." He chuckled.

Lucas let out a light airy chuckle. "Yeah. Knock on wood." He said then him and Nathan knocked on the wood of the post before he opened the door.

"L-Lucas." A young boy said getting his friend's attention.

Lucas turned from Maya to the door and faced his father once again.

"You didn't leave?" He choked out.

Lucas gave his son a small smile. "I wasn't going to.. I'm sorry. I needed some air. I never meant to make you think that I was gonna leave."

Lucas swallowed hard and held Maya's hand tightly in his own.

"My father left my mom when she got pregnant. I wouldn't walk out on my son. I'm sorry I didn't know about you, but-" Lucas looked over at Brooke who had pulled away from Haley when she heard his voice. He saw the tears streaming down her face. "-but, don't hate your mother for that, okay. It was complicated. If things were different. If I never did what I did she wouldn't have lied, and maybe we would have kept you."

Maya squeezed Lucas's hand and he glanced down at her and smiled.

"I'm not angry. I had a great life. I have amazing friends. I have Maya." She looked up at him and he locked eyes with her. "I wouldn't trade that for anything." Then he looked at the older Lucas, his biological father. "I'm grateful that my birth mom made the choice she made and gave me this life. I hope that you don't hate her."

Lucas looked from his son to his son's mother, the first girl he really fell for, the one he screwed up with, the one he lost because he was young and stupid. "I could never hate her." He said seriously catching her eyes. He looked back at his son and looked down at the two kids hands, fingers interlocked. "This your girlfriend?"

Lucas couldn't hide the grin that took over his face. "Yeah. She is now."

"Well she's beautiful. Don't lose her." He looked back at Brooke and sighed. "So, uh, do we bond or something?"

Nathan chuckled. "We could go pick up my son and shoot some hoops?"

Both Lucas smiled.

Brooke rolled her eyes and looked at Haley. "Not another one."

They laughed.