I Miss You

Author: L

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

Author's Note: I haven't wrote anything in a long time because I've been really busy with college. This one-shot is written mainly in Brooke's point of view.

Brooke groaned as the sun broke through the small gap in her curtains and hit her full in the face. She grabbed the pillow out from under her head and used it as a shield against the sun but now that she had been woken, there was no getting back to sleep. Throwing the pillow towards the end of the bed, Brooke stared absentmindedly at the ceiling as that familiar feeling of loneliness returned. Julian had flown back to Los Angeles the previous night to continue production on his latest movie and he wasn't going to return to Tree Hill until two weeks later.

Sliding out of the bed, Brooke pulled on her nightgown and started to leave the room. As she passed her dresser, her eyes scanned the pictures that stood upon it. A sad smile crept across her face as she stared at the first photo. Brooke had taken it with Peyton and Peyton's daughter, Sawyer, the day they had been released from the hospital. She missed her best friend more and more each day but her absence wasn't the thing that bothered her the most. Even when Peyton was in Los Angeles and Brooke was in New York, when they needed each other, all they had to do was pick up the phone, but Peyton had mentioned to her last night that Lucas, Sawyer and her were going to be sailing into an out-of-service area for the next few days. Over the past few years, a lot of people had entered her life but there were many more that had left. She felt empty without those who meant the most to her.

Placing the frame back onto the dresser, her gaze drifted inevitably to another picture that brought tears to her eyes. She smiled at the photo of Sam and her which had been taken at the Clothes Over Bro's boutique one afternoon. The memory was never far from her consciousness as she thought back sadly to one of the many moments she had shared with her foster daughter.

"Wow, I'm impressed," smiled Brooke as she entered the Clothes Over Bro's boutique. All the clothes had been placed neatly around the store, the counter had been cleaned and a mop had been swept across the wooden floorboards. "You've done a really good job," she told Sam as she walked over to the couch. "And I hope you're going to clean that," smirked Brooke, gesturing towards Sam's feet which were resting on the table.

"I'm going home," muttered Sam but before she could reach the door, Brooke stopped her. "I'm not doing anymore work," she protested. "I've done my time, and I think I should be let off for good behaviour considering I had the store to myself and I didn't throw a keg party."

"Good point," laughed Brooke. "I just wanted to take a picture of you to commemorate this rare moment of helpfulness from you. Hopefully it will discourage you from sneaking out again in the future," she added with a light smirk.

"I doubt that," Sam muttered under her breath. "Are you going to keep this picture hidden away forever where no one will ever see it?" she asked in a wistful tone.

"Well, I was thinking of having the photo blown up to an A-two size and hanging it in the living room so the first thing our guests will see is your pretty face," murmured Brooke with a mischievous smile. She couldn't help laughing at Sam's expression which redefined the words 'not amused'. "Come on, I'll take the picture with you," she added, pulling her cell phone out of her handbag.

As Brooke swung her arm around Sam's shoulder and positioned her cell phone in the air, the teenager took the opportunity to make a last-second compromise.

"One picture, A-five and it stays in your bedroom."

"Deal," laughed Brooke.

The smiles spread across their faces with ease as they took their first family photo together.

Tears started to well up in Brooke's eyes as she placed the photo back onto the dresser. She brushed the back of her hand against her cheek and wiped away all traces of sadness. Brooke picked up her cell phone from the dresser, pausing only for a brief moment to stare at the photo of Julian, Sam and her. It stabbed at her heart each time she thought about the family they had been... the family they could have been. She didn't want to bother Julian while he was working and she found herself scrolling through the numbers in her phone book until she reached one of the many people she longed to speak to these days.

"Hello?" answered a familiar sleepy and irritable voice.

"Hey, it's me." Brooke bit her bottom lip as she wondered whether she should elaborate. "Brooke," she eventually added in a quieter tone.

"I know it's been a while since we last spoke but I haven't forgotten what your voice sounds like," laughed Sam. "It's embedded into my memory after you yelled at me for stealing from you, sneaking out, throwing a party in your store, and for ruining Peyton's wedding dress."

Brooke smiled to herself as the memories played out in her mind. "Well, I hope you're behaving for Rebecca," she said in her naturally maternal tone.

"Of course," Sam replied, feigning an innocent voice. "It's really great to hear from you, Brooke, but is there a specific reason for this phone call? You know the dangers of waking me up before noon."

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to stop by the store this afternoon. Julian's in LA at the moment and Peyton is off sailing the world with Lucas and Sawyer. I thought it would be nice to spend a little time together and catch up; if it's okay with Rebecca, of course," explained Brooke.

"Rebecca won't mind," Sam insisted. "She's been telling me for the past two weeks to call you and keep in contact on a regular basis but I've been really busy with coursework. Tree Hill High has been piling on the workload. I already have a protest planned out in my mind, and Clothes Over Bro's can be our official strike sponsor," she joked.

"I'm sure Victoria will be proud to hear of your business plan," smirked Brooke.

"Oh, shit!" Sam exclaimed suddenly.

A small smile pulled at the corners of Brooke's lips as she heard herself repeating those familiar words. "Language, Samantha!"

"That would have been so much more effective if I couldn't hear the laughter in your voice," remarked Sam. "When you mentioned Victoria, it reminded me that Rebecca's parents – well, my grandparents, I guess – are coming to Tree Hill this afternoon at one o'clock. It's the first time I'm meeting them but I really want to see you too. It's been too long. Can I stop by at twelve o'clock and just hang out there for an hour?"

Brooke was disappointed to hear that they weren't going to be able to spend more time together but her spirits were lifted when she saw the comparison that Sam had drawn between her biological grandparents and Victoria. She knew that seeing Sam for an hour was better than not at all although she really wished Julian and Victoria could be here as well.

"Yeah, that sounds fantastic," replied Brooke with a huge smile. "I'll see you soon."

Sam felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement as she approached the Clothes Over Bro's store. She was having a really great time with Rebecca and she enjoyed getting to know her biological mother but it didn't change the importance of Brooke in her life. When Sam received Brooke's phone call this morning, she felt bad for neglecting her promise to keep in contact but she knew Brooke would understand. When she opened the door and stepped into the store, she breathed in the familiar smell of the designer clothes and hardwood floor, laughing quietly at how ridiculous she might have seemed if there were others present.

The sound of high heels drew her attention and Sam grinned at the sight of Brooke. There was no need for a greeting between them as Brooke approached Sam and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"I've really missed you, Sam," murmured Brooke when she finally released her.

"I've missed you too," smiled Sam. She walked over to the couch and sat down without a second thought. It was like she had never left. "I miss Julian, Victoria, Haley, Jamie and Peyton as well," she added with a hint of sadness before curving her lips into a smirk. "I was actually expecting a surprise party."

"I'll remember that for next time," laughed Brooke. "How are you? Are you happy?"

The last question was a reflex. On the night that Sam had left, Brooke made sure she knew that the door was always open if she wanted to return or even if she just needed somewhere to stay for the night. Sam had never felt the need to take her up on that offer and Brooke knew she really was happy.

"I'm great," reassured Sam. "I'm having a really awesome time with Rebecca and... yeah, I'm happy." There was a small part of Sam that was worried about hurting Brooke but she also knew that Brooke would always put her first. "I read about your alliance with Victoria in B. Davis and I heard that Julian's latest movie is going to be really good, but how are you? I know it must be really hard on you with Peyton travelling aboard and Julian in LA."

Sam knew that in the eyes of the press, Brooke Davis was living the life that most people could only dream of but in the time that she had spent with her, she discovered that Brooke's number one priority were her friends and her family. Brooke would always put the feelings of others before her own and Sam had experienced this first-hand on the night she left Brooke's care. She was one of the few that could see past Brooke's mask which is why she questioned Brooke's insistence that she was coping.

Forcing a bright smile, Brooke replied, "I'm okay. Things are going really well right now with Julian and the company." Sam's expression was full of doubt but Brooke had a lot of experience when it came to holding things together even when she was at a breaking point. "Have you spoken to Jack lately? How is he doing?" she asked, thankful for the change in subject.

"He's really happy," murmured Sam. Her voice still held a tint of sadness at the loss of her best friend and potential boyfriend but he was content with his new life and that mattered above all else. "We call each other a few times a week and his parents have agreed to catch a flight with him into Tree Hill next month."

Brooke listened intently as Sam spoke enthusiastically about living with Rebecca. It pleased Brooke to hear that Sam had been staying out of trouble at school and her passion for writing was still as strong as it had always been. She even promised to bring a few of her short stories with her the next time they met up so Brooke could read them. Sam's unspoken promise to visit again brought a smile to both their faces and it was enough to numb the feeling of disappointment when they realised it was time for Sam to go. Brooke offered to drive Sam home and the teenager was quick to accept the offer. They had spoken only about Sam in the past hour and she wasn't going to end the visit without receiving some sort of confirmation that Brooke was alright.

Brooke switched off the ignition and turned towards Sam, dreading the goodbye that they both knew was coming. Sam really wanted Brooke to admit that she wasn't coping with the absences in her life as well as she was pretending to but when she saw the pain in her eyes, she knew that she couldn't bring those feelings to the surface. It wouldn't be fair on Brooke. Instead, Sam hugged her tightly until a few minutes passed by.

"Brooke, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you," she told her. "I'm only a phone call away, even if it's before twelve in the afternoon. I'll always make an exception for you."

"I know," smiled Brooke. She could feel the tears starting to spill into her eyes and she didn't want Sam to see them. At that moment, the door to the house opened and Rebecca stepped outside. When she spotted Sam and Brooke, she offered the latter a friendly wave. "You should go," Brooke murmured. "And I promise I will call more as long as you promise to keep up the good work."

Sam nodded. "I've always wanted to have a real mom and because of you, I have two now. You're just as important to me as Rebecca is. Don't ever forget that," she murmured, hugging Brooke again. "I'll call you tonight," she smiled as she pulled away and reached for the door handle. "I love you... mom."

Brooke was doing everything she could to stop the tears from falling. "I love you too, Sam."

Sam shot her one more smile before jumping out of the car and walking towards the house. Rebecca was joined by her parents and they greeted their granddaughter with a loving hug. Brooke allowed the tears to glide freely down her face and when she caught Rebecca's eye, they shared a small smile with each other.

As Brooke drove away from the house, she stole a look in the rear-view mirror at the new family Sam was now a part of. She finally let the feelings of hurt, pain and most of all, regret, flood to the surface because even though it meant the world to her that Sam had everything she had always dreamed of, she really missed the girl behind the picket fence.

The End