Here it is! The new fic! I'm actually quite surprised at how quickly I got this up. Basically all you need to know is that this takes place six months after Brooke left Julian at the airport, everything up to that episode happened and obviously everything after that episode did not. Although they're not in this chapter, Nathan, Haley and Peyton will be a part of this story.

Chapter One: Sacrifice

Her life hadn't been the same for six months. He was no longer in her bed when she woke up, she never came home to find him in the kitchen making dinner like he used to, and he wasn't there anymore to scare the boy Sam brought home. He simply wasn't there anymore and that was entirely her fault. He had begged her to accompany him back to Los Angeles but she said no, she had used Sam to protect her heart from getting broken again but if she knew how much her heart would ache now she would have jumped on the plane the moment he asked.

Her relationship with Sam though had greatly intensified over the past six months. Sam and her birth mother had a big fight that ended with Sam on Brooke's doorstep asking if she could come home. Tears had welled in Brooke's eyes as she immediately pulled the snarky teenager out of the pouring rain and into her arms.

As Brooke sat in her living room with the fire crackling as she waited up for Sam she couldn't help but let her mind wander to Julian. It was times like this when she sat alone in the quiet house that she felt the most alone, it seemed as if everyone was coupling up and she was stuck while all her friends moved forward with their lives. She knew she was to blame for her current state but he was the one who had ended it. About two weeks after she left him at the airport he called. The phone call only lasted twenty-seven seconds but it was long enough to tear her entire world apart. Why wasn't he willing to try the long distance thing? Why did she have to be the one to uproot and move to his hometown? Why wasn't he willing to sacrifice for her? Those were the questions that no matter how hard she tried to avoid, crept into her head in the quiet evenings she often spent alone. Why couldn't she be the girl who gets the happy ending?

"Hey," Sam said softly as she entered the house holding Jack's hand. "You didn't have to wait up."

Brooke glanced over at her, happy she was home so she would no longer be plagued with heart-wrenching what if scenarios. "I wanted to." She replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "How are you, Jack?"

"I'm good, Miss Davis." He smiled as he sat down beside Sam on the couch.

She laughed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Brooke." She said as she patted his knee.

Jack grinned.

"Did you two have a good time tonight?" She asked.

Sam nodded. "We went ice skating."

"You hate ice skating." Brooke said through narrowed eyes as she crossed her arms.

"Well he wanted to go so I sucked it up and went." She said as she stretched her legs out and rested them on top of the coffee table. "I hated it but that's what being in a relationship is all about right? Sacrificing every now and then to make the other happy?"

Brooke didn't answer, instead she told Sam to take her feet off the table. She watched as Sam and Jack interacted with each other and felt a chill engulf her body. "Well I don't know about you two but I'm exhausted." She said as she stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "I don't know if you're staying the night Jack but if you do, you know the rules."

Both Sam and Jack nodded. "He sleeps on the couch, I sleep in my bed. No sneaking out to see each other in the middle of the night. Blah, blah, blah." Sam recited as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you take them so seriously." Brooke called back as she walked toward her room. She knew Jack's relationship with his foster parents was anything but easy so whenever she could help out, she did. Most weeknights she'd make dinner, or order in, and the three of them would sit at the table, joking and laughing. Jack was a good kid; he really was, so for the life of her she couldn't understand why his foster parents were so hard on him.

The next morning she smiled to herself when she saw Jack sprawled out on the couch, his blanket on the floor. She walked over, picked it up and carefully draped it back on top of him before heading back toward the kitchen to begin making breakfast. It was Saturday and that meant her mom would arrive any minute and they'd eat breakfast together and then go out for the day. That was another thing that had gotten better over the past six months, her relationship with her mother. At first it was strange to see Victoria acting motherly but within a month or so it felt natural, now, she, Sam and Brooke were inseparable.

"Hi sweetheart!" Victoria exclaimed as she walked into the house.

"Shhh!" Brooke chided as she pointed to Jack.

"Sorry!" She whispered as she tiptoed into the kitchen. "Trouble in paradise?"

Brooke shrugged. "He doesn't really talk about it, his foster parents, according to Sam, are especially hard on him. They yell at him for every little thing, mom. I want him to feel safe and loved because that's what he deserves."

Victoria placed her hand on Brooke's shoulder. "You are one of the kindest most loving people I know." She smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

She glanced down at the floor as she blushed. "Thanks."

"What's for breakfast today?" Sam asked as she strolled out of her bedroom. Victoria couldn't help but laugh at her appearance. Her hair was all over the place, she only had one sock on and her eyeliner from the night before was smudged all over the side of her face.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." She smiled.

"Morning." She grumbled. "Is Jack awake?"

Brooke shook her head.

She smiled as she tiptoed over to where he was sleeping. "Wake up!" She shouted as she jumped on top of her boyfriend.

"Sam!" He groaned as he struggled to open his eyes.

"It's time to get up, sleepy head."

"Five more minutes?" He begged.

"You'll miss Brooke's famous chocolate chip pancakes then." Sam shrugged as she stood back up and walked toward the kitchen. Within seconds, Jack was up and following her into the kitchen. "Mind if he joins us for breakfast?"

"He's a boy, though." Brooke said as she scrunched her nose. "Saturdays are girl days."

Sam playfully nudged her arm. "C'mon! You're making him feel unwelcome."

Brooke laughed. "He knows I'm just kidding, don't you Jack?"

Jack nodded.

"See? You get so worked up over the smallest things." She said as she flipped the last pancake onto a plate. Victoria carried the plate over to the table while Brooke followed with the silverware, Sam with syrup and Jack with a pitcher of orange juice. The four of them ate breakfast and filled the house with laughter. Victoria offered Jack to spend the day with them to which he happily agreed. As Jack showered and Sam cleaned up her room, Victoria and Brooke cleaned up the breakfast dishes.

"Do you still think about him?" Victoria asked as she put a plate away.

"Who?" Brooke asked innocently as she continued to scrub one of the dishes.

"Don't do this, Brooke." She pleaded.

She placed the sponge and plate down in the sink before turning to face her mother. "Yeah," She said softly as she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about, mom? It's been six months and he hasn't called once except the day when he decided to end everything."

"And why did he end things?" She asked as she placed the drying rag down.

"You know why!" Brooke exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you're my daughter and I care about you. I want you to be happy but for the past six months you've been anything but. You hid behind Sam—"

"Don't." Brooke said, pointing her finger in her mother's face. "Do not go there."

"Sweetie, it's the truth. You're scared to death of getting your heart broken again because you've put it out there countless times only to get it smashed to pieces. You used Sam as an excuse and honestly, I don't blame you. But there comes a time when you have to risk your heart because if you don't you're going to live like this forever. Julian is a great guy and he never wanted to hurt you."

"Then why did he end things? Why didn't he try the long distance thing? Why did I have to be the one to uproot and move? Why was I the one who had to sacrifice everything for him?" She cried.

Victoria shrugged. "Why don't you ask him those questions?"

"I can't call him after six months of not speaking and demand answers concerning our breakup."

"Why not?" She challenged.

"He'd think I was crazy."

"You'll never know until you call him." She shrugged.

--

Their Saturday had been spent watching classic eighties movies in Brooke's living room. Countless bags of popcorn had been popped and numerous cartons of ice cream were consumed but it was one of the best days any of them had had in a long time. On Sunday, Sam and Jack helped Brooke and Victoria order new fabric for the spring collection of Clothes over Bros. Jack reluctantly returned to his house Sunday night while Victoria reluctantly drove back to her condo two towns over. Monday was just like any other Monday: Brooke spent it in her store while Sam and Jack were in school.

"Brooke?" Sam called through the house as she dumped her backpack on the couch upon returning home from school. "Brooke are you home?" When she didn't get a response, she shrugged and plopped down beside her backpack before flicking on the television. She knew she should probably start something for dinner but she really didn't feel like getting up off her butt and she figured it would just be easier to order Chinese food when Brooke got home.

It was nearing eight o'clock and Sam was beyond hungry. Brooke was supposed to be home hours ago but she hadn't called or shown up which made Sam nervous. She had called Jack who agreed to go down to the store with her to check if Brooke was still there. As they walked down the barren streets toward her store, Sam couldn't help but think the worst. When she saw the broken glass windows and clothes strewn everywhere she thought her mind was playing a horrible trick on her. "Brooke," She gasped under her breath as she sprinted toward the store with Jack by her side. "Brooke!" She called as she looked around. "Are you here?"

"Sam?" She answered weakly.

She spotted her behind the overturned couch before running over to her. When she saw her bloodied face and torn clothes, her eyes began to water. "What happened?" She asked as she reached down for her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I need you to call someone." She said softly.

Sam nodded as she reached for her cell phone. "Who do you want me to call? Nathan, Haley, Peyton? Which one of them?"

"Lucas."

"I've never even spoken to him though, I don't think he knows who I am, Brooke."

"Just call Lucas." She begged.

Sam sighed as she began to dial Lucas' number. When he answered she explained who she was but only said she needed him to meet her and Brooke at the store, there was no sense in getting him worked up just yet. "Do you know who did this to you?" She asked Brooke once she hung up.

Brooke shook her head. "You didn't go and rant to someone how bad of a mother I am again, did you?" She tried to joke.

Sam smiled slightly before shaking her head. "He's on his way."

A few minutes later they heard a car door slam and within seconds Lucas was in the store. "What the hell happened?" He exclaimed as he walked over the broken glass.

"Brooke was attacked again." Sam said as she stood up from behind the couch.

"Again?" He asked confused, he was still under the impression that she had fallen down the stairs while he and Peyton were in Vegas. "Where is she?"

"Right here," Sam said as she kneeled down again. "I tried to keep her awake but she just couldn't keep her eyes open." She panicked.

"Who did this?" He asked as he knelt down to pick her up.

"She doesn't know." Sam shrugged. "I don't know what to do for her."

"Grab her purse and follow me to my car," He instructed as he made his way around the destroyed store. "We need to get her to a hospital." Sam did as she was told before reaching for Jack's hand. He noticed the tears in her eyes as he squeezed her hand and rubbed her back.

"She's going to be okay." He whispered into her hair.

Once at the hospital, Sam noticed how easily Lucas fell into the role of a hero it was almost as if he was trying to prove something to someone. She was surprised when without thinking he told the doctors Brooke was his girlfriend; he later explained he did that so he would be able to obtain information from the doctors but she got a different vibe as to why he did it. Sam had been living with Brooke for close to a year but she'd never seen her interact with Lucas, which she thought strange but never questioned.

"So this is kind of awkward." She said as she glanced around the waiting room.

Lucas smiled uneasily. "It is, isn't it?"

Jack nodded in agreement. "It definitely is."

"So you're Jack Daniels I take it?" Lucas asked as he leaned forward.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" He asked.

"Haley, Mrs. Scott you're English teacher, talks about you and your passion for writing a lot. She said you remind her a lot of the high school me." He smiled.

Jack's cheeks flushed slightly. "That's a pretty bit compliment."

"How long have you two been together?"

"That's kind of personal, don't you think? I only met you an hour ago." Sam said as she gave him the once-over.

Lucas grinned. "You remind me of Brooke in a lot of ways."

"How so?" She asked as she reclined in her chair and folded her arms over her chest.

"You're spunky, you don't care what other people think, you're extremely protective of the ones you love and you always say what's on your mind."

"You were able to determine all of that in the past hour? We've hardly spoken to each other." She said warily.

He nodded. "I'm good like that. And I'm sure I could come up with countless other similarities but I'll just have to get to know you better first."

"How do you know Brooke so well?" Jack asked.

Lucas looked at him surprised. "She never told you?"

Both Sam and Jack shook their heads. She noticed how Lucas looked like the wind had been knocked out of him once they shook their heads. "Never told us what?" She asked softly.

"That we dated for two years in high school." He whispered as he shook his head. "Excuse me." He said as he got up and walked out of the waiting room.

"Now this is awkward." Jack said as he glanced around.

"I can't believe she never told me."

"Why should she have to? Lucas was part of her past which has nothing to do with her future or you."

"It has everything to do with her future!" Sam exclaimed as she stood up. "Something happened while they were together and that's why she's so scared to open up to people. Have you ever seen her bring a boy home in the time you've known her?" She asked.

"Only Julian."

"Julian." Sam gasped. "I have to tell him that Brooke was attacked."

"I don't think that's a good idea, babe." Jack said as he stood up and took the cell phone out of her hand.

"Why?"

"Let Brooke tell him when she's ready…if she's ready."

"But—"

"But nothing. They haven't been together for six months, Sam. She's not his responsibility anymore; she won't even talk about him. Can you imagine what she'd do if she found out you called and told him? She hates when others see her vulnerable and weak and if you call Julian you'll only be opening a can of worms." He tried to reason.

"What if this brings them back together?"

"What if it tears them further apart?" He challenged. "I know you want to call him because you believe that this might turn out to be some fairytale happy ending but these are people's lives, Sam. I know from experience that happy endings don't exist, happiness is fleeting."

Sam looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you, you know that right?" She asked.

He nodded; he was a bit confused but went with it anyway. "I love you too." He said as he pulled her small frame into his.

"Will you let me call Victoria?" She asked.

Jack grinned. "Of course."

A short while later, Victoria had joined Lucas, Sam and Jack in the hospital waiting room. She was beyond surprised when she saw Lucas talking to Sam and Jack but hid all emotion when she approached them. As the four of them sat in silence, one of the female doctors emerged from the room Brooke currently occupied.

"Is anyone here for Brooke Davis?" She called into the waiting room. All four of them stood simultaneously. "Relation to the patient?" She asked.

"Mother." Victoria said.

"Boyfriend."

"Daughter."

"Son."

Victoria was amazed at how easily all three of them answered the question. She knew Brooke considered Sam her daughter so that didn't surprise her that much. What did though, was Lucas' response. When he said it, it almost seemed as though he actually wanted it. He said it with such pride and honor that it baffled Victoria. She chuckled to herself when she heard Jack answer, typical Jack, she thought. She was actually quite surprised that the doctor bought the idea that Jack and Sam were Brooke's children. Brooke was only twenty-four years old!

The doctor nodded as she closed the chart. "As you know, Brooke was brutally attacked this evening," She started. "She sustained several lacerations to her face and her body is very badly bruised but she's going to recover." Lucas watched as the doctor maintained eye contact with Victoria the entire time. "There's also something else you should know." She said and for the first time looked at Lucas. "She was gang raped."

"No," Victoria cried as she shook her head violently. "Not my baby girl."

"I'm so sorry m'am." The doctor said as she placed her hand on Victoria's shoulder.

"How many people?" Lucas asked through gritted teeth.

"There were four donors." She said as she glanced down quickly at Brooke's chart. "Do you have any idea who would do this to her?"

All four shook their heads. "No." Lucas said.

Sam leaned into Jack's embrace as he continued to rub her back. "Can I call Julian now?" She whispered. She felt him nod his head so when she got a busy signal she sighed before hanging up and trying again. Little did she know that Brooke had beaten her to it and was on the phone with him that very moment.

"Julian?" She whispered into the hospital phone once he answered.

"Brooke," He sighed. He would know that voice anywhere. He couldn't believe it had been six months since he last heard it. "I can't do this right now, actually I'm not sure if I can ever do this. Please don't call here again, this is hard enough."

"I need you." She cried.

"Then you should have come to LA when I asked you to." He said, his voice harsher than he had intended.

"No, I need you to come home—"

"LA is my home, I have a life and a job out here that I need to get back to, Brooke. I couldn't have stayed in Tree Hill forever."

"I know," She said softly. "But I was raped."

--

Review & let me know what you think!

P.S. – I know that in my last fic Brooke was raped repeatedly by Owen and right now it may seem like whatever story I do, she always gets raped but the storyline for this fic is drastically different from my previous one.